Self Taught Shinobi
by ling-chaaan
Summary: The selftaught ninjas of the Sakada clan have kept to themselves... until now. The youngest of the clan, Kishomi joins the Naruto gang...A serious clan rivalry forces the Sakada to retrace their past and go on into a serious death match!
1. Enter: Sakada Kishomi!

Kishomi woke with a start. Beams of sunlight shone through her bedside window. She yawned and stretched out her arms. "Mmm…first day in the hidden village of Konohagakure," she said to herself as she got dressed. Sakada Kishomi was a new resident in the village of Konoha- ready to take her graduation test.

All her life before she had made it here with her family, she taught herself ninjutsu. The Sakada clan, the family of self-taught ninjutsu, Kishomi thought to herself as she rushed out the door. She jumped high from roof to roof until she had reached the ninja academy.

The well-trained girl had arranged to become a full-fledged ninja with Master Iruka yesterday. A chance to prove my true skill, Kishomi thought to herself.

The door slid open. "Ohayo, Iruka-sensei," Kishomi greeted the teacher. Iruka was sitting at his desk in the empty classroom. He smiled.

"Ahh…well if it isn't Kishomi from the Sakada clan- the ones who are self-taught ninjas- am I correct?" Iruka asked, smiling.

Kishomi grinned. "Yes, quite right. Our standards are set pretty strictly from the time we were old enough to read," she said.

"Something to live up to- eh?" Master Iruka said, winking. Kishomi nodded happily.

"Well now. Enough talk- shall we go on to your graduation test?" Iruka asked. "Come- the next room will be where you will unleash your true skill."

Kishomi followed Iruka next door. The room was empty except for a large amount of space and a desk at the other end. The Third Hokage was seated in a chair with a _hitai-ate_ headband adjacent to him. Kishomi greeted him with a quick bow. The Hokage smiled behind his hands that were folded in front of his face.

Master Iruka gestured Kishomi to stand in the center of the room. "To pass this test- you must create four doppelgangers in the image of yourself. Very simple." He said. Kishomi nodded.

"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" she yelled, and sure enough, four doppelgangers appeared, each solid and in the image of Kishomi.

"Well done! Seems you have taught yourself well- very well. You pass♥!" Iruka said, grinning broadly. He handed the Konoha leaf headband over to Kishomi. She took the _hitai-ate_ headband in her hands. It gleamed in the light.

"Arigato, Iruka-sensei! And Hokage-sama!" Kishomi said, tying the headband around her forehead. Master Iruka and the Hokage smiled.

"We will assign you to a jônin an elite shinobi this afternoon. Hatake Kakashi- maybe an uneven team, since he already has three, but it'll work out." Iruka-sensei said. Kishomi nodded.

First day to make friends already…this is... awesome, she thought.

THAT AFTERNOON

"Hello- I'm Hatake Kakashi, your sensei," a man with a lopsided _hitai-ate_ headband greeted Kishomi. She grunted in reply. Her large shoulder bad was killing her back.

Kakashi gestured to two boys and a girl. "This would be Uzumaki Naruto; our team maverick hopes to one day become the next Hokage." Naruto tipped hi headband and grinned widely. "Uchiha Sasuke is next, a mysterious one." Sasuke 'hmphed' in reply, but smiled. "Then finally, it's Haruno Sakura, the one with the sharpest mind!"

A girl with an over-sized forehead and pink hair waved and smiled. (INNER SAKURA: Yeah- sharp mind equals meh! –Grin-)

"Well you're a stranger to us all- introduce yourself!" Naruto said, pointing at Kishomi.

"Oh-me? Well, I'm Sakada Kishomi of the Sakada clan, the clan of the self-taught ninjutsu, and I enjoy my time practicing and studying ninjutsu as well! It's always been a habit. Kishomi said. She felt stupid- making herself look like a bookie.

"Astounding. You must be very good." Kakashi said. He seemed to smile behind his black bandanna covering half his face.

"Master Kakashi- don't we have to et to our second task now?" Sakura asked. (INNER SAKURA: Hurry up! I'm dying to do something!)

"Very well- Sakada, you're okay with an escapade your first day?" Kakashi asked. His face was serious. Kishomi understood the firmness in his voice and nodded.

"Let's see here- our task is to help manage the field crops, pick herbs, and help repaint the Konoha school sign," Naruto said glumly, and threw the piece of paper. The article fluttered to the ground. "BORING!"

"Ooh- Naruto you're so annoying!" Sakura yelled, "Just take what you get!" She hit him across the head.

"He has a point- Kakashi- sensei," Sasuke said. Kishomi nodded in agreement. Kakashi sighed.

"Be happy for what you get, team 7." He said. Naruto glared at him.

"Fine. But, Kakashi-sensei, can you treat us to ramen for dinner then?" Naruto asked, clapping his hands together. "Master Iruka's busy tonight, so can you fill him in just this once?" Kakashi's eyes grew wide. He sighed again, but nodded. It was sort of a fair trade anyway.

"ALRIIIIGHT!" Naruto said happily, "Let's get busy!"

**NOW! R&R… that's the only thing you can do! WAHAHA! **


	2. First Escapade and a Nightmare?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any Naruto charats...

Too bad... I like this FF of mine better... get ready for the delete of Akisumai.

As they were painting the Konoha school sign, Kishomi noticed Iruka was watching from below. Master Iruka grinned up at them. Naruto waved in return.

"That's Master Iruka- he's the awesomest teacher! What I love the most is when he treats me to ramen!" Naruto said to Kishomi. He was grinning.

"Wow. He must be like your family." Kishomi said. Naruto shook his head.

"Nope. I don't have a family. But Iruka-sensei is the closest I'll ever get to one!" Naruto said. His face was splattered with specks of black paint. "It was almost impossible to win over his respect!"

Kishomi smiled. "I see," she said. "He must be someone real important in your life then." Naruto nodded happily.

_A couple hours later…_

"Alright team 7! We're done here!" Kakashi said, gesturing his hand for the four of them to come forward. Naruto raced over.

"You haven't forgotten the deal have you Kakashi- sensei?" Naruto asked with eager eyes. Kakashi nodded.

"Well… I suppose…" he said. Kakashi put the Come Come Paradise book he was reading into his pocket." Naruto pumped his fists gladly and jumped in pure delight.

Does ramen revolve around his life? Kishomi thought. She sighed, but Naruto and the others were already walking away. She followed.

_At the Ichiraku Ramen Shop…_

"MMMMM! YUM! This is good!" Naruto said, slurping up his ramen noisily. Sakura slumped down in her seat. She stared longingly at Sasuke, who sat two seats down.

"What's the matter?" Kishomi asked. Sakura looked at her.

"Him… Sasuke. He's so kept up in other things… he's totally lost knowledge of girls! No on can ever get him to talk to him nicely! He's so… blushbut too many girls like him!" she said lowly. Kishomi laughed.

"Heh. I though so…I saw you staring at him a lot during our mission." She said. Sakura shook nervously and blushed hard. (INNER SAKURA: Holy crap! She…knows! Better not let her fall for him as well though!)

"I guess, "she said. "So quiet and mysterious…what kind of girl can reject that?" Sakura sighed. Kishomi giggled.

"True… but I'll leave that matter alone. I've got better things to do than like Sasuke…" she said, her voice trailing off.

"MORE PLEASE!" Naruto yelled, holding out his bowl. Kakashi sighed. Sakura glared at Naruto. Sasuke had his fingers folded up over his chin and his eyes narrowed into a fierce look as well.

"Eh?" Naruto said, looking at their expressions. He slumped down.

"Enough." Kakashi-sensei said. Naruto sighed.

"That _was_ my 3rd bowl after all…" he said sadly, pushing his bowl away.

"Well…if that's it, then we're leaving!" Sakura said. She walked out of the ramen shop.

When the team had reunited outside, Kakashi explained to them what would be in for them tomorrow. "We have completed our missions today. Tomorrow- meet me at the entrance of Konoha school." He said, and left with a swish of wind.

"Then I'm heading home." Sasuke said. He walked out and disappeared into the nightly crowds browsing around the village of Konoha.

Naruto was next. "See ya guys!" he said, winking at Sakura. Naruto jumped from roof to roof until he was out of side, into the dense buildings.

"Sayonara Kishomi-chan!" Sakura said, and disappeared into the crowds. Kishomi decided to glance through her new village.

She walked through numbers of stores and looked at all there was to see in the night life of Konoha. Someone bumped into her as she came out of a bookstore.

"Hey- watch where you're…eh?" a boy with super thick brows and a dorky do eyed Kishomi suspiciously. "I've never seen you around here before."

Kishomi was in a state of shock. "A…a… gaahh! Someone from my nightmare!" she said, her hands flew to her cheeks. Kishomi swooned in fear. The boy sighed angrily.

"NO- baka… I'm reality." He said. "Rock Lee. I specialize in taijutsu." He said, introducing himself with a shiny smile. Kishomi nodded.

"Sakada Kishomi…I'm new here." She said. They both parted ways.

Lee thought angrily to himself. "What's with all the people of this city? Am I some unknown creature of the deep or something?"


	3. Chakra Wasted

Kishomi slipped in through her window, careful not to disturb her parents. They were in deep concentration on their advanced studies of ninjutsu. She went into their library quietly and retrieved a scroll from the shelf on the farthest end. Kishomi had been looking into this challenging technique for so long.

She unraveled the scroll, which was labeled Mienai no Jutsu, or Art of the Invisibility. "Hmm… so focus the chakra all over your body to make yourself unseen to others. Pretty difficult." She said to herself. "Wastes a lot of your mental and spiritual energy."

Kishomi dropped her scroll. She closed her eyes. "Focus chakra in the three key areas: your head, arms, and feet… then spread it all over from there," she thought to herself.

"Concentrate…no distractions…" she muttered. She focused quickly, and somehow thought she could feel her chakra spread throughout her body.

When she felt that she had almost covered every part, she yelled, "MIENAI NO JUTSU!" Bits and pieces of her body turned in the environment's color. She opened her eyes. Not every part of her was invisible. Her neck and chunks of arm still showed.

"Crap…keep trying… don't give up so fast." She said to herself.

All night, Kishomi diligently practiced her ninjutsu. She was determined to get the art of invisibility right, considering it wasted chakra and was higher-level ninjutsu. By morning, she had almost wasted all her chakra.

She lay on the ground, breathing heavily. Kishomi was worn out on practicing this new ninjutsu. Sunlight poured through her open window and a cool breeze came in. Kishomi opened her eyes.

She slowly stood up, staggering as she did so. "Ughh…" she mumbled. Her hand groped for something to lean on. "Better get ready…" Kishomi said under her breath.

The entrance of Konoha Ninja Academy was completely empty except for Sasuke when she got there. "Eh?" Kishomi said, looking around. "Where are the others?"

"They aren't here yet." Sasuke said. His arms were crossed giving him a stern attitude.

"But it's already mid-morning! Kishomi said. "It's quite…odd." Sasuke sighed.

"They always come feeling dramatic…plus Kakashi- sensei is _always_ the latest of us all." He said. His face showed no emotion.

"I…see." Kishomi said. She hesitated, but suddenly felt a searing pain in her arm. Kishomi winced and gripped her arm tightly. It felt as if it were being ripped apart.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked. He had noticed her arm was turning a strange crimson red color, much different from before. Kishomi winced once again.

"Crap…what the heck?" Kishomi said. Side effects? Couldn't be. Sasuke stared at her arm. Kishomi's arm was now a darker red.

"I'm not sure…but I've been teaching myself this new skill…Mienai no Jutsu… but I wouldn't think ninjutsu had side effects." She said.

"It doesn't. However, wasting a lot of chakra does. I expected you would've known this if you were teaching yourself ninjutsu." Sasuke said, and his face glowered.

"Uhn…I forgot." Kishomi dropped to her knees. She then slumped down.

"Can't…move…." She said painfully. Sasuke sighed.

"You would need rest. It's the only way to recover from loss of chakra." He said.

"Ugh…crap…now today I won't be able to do anything…" Kishomi mumbled.

"Right. You'd better go home and rest." Sasuke said. Kishomi sighed heavily.

"Can't…if I try to make it back home by transporting, my chakra will be completely gone." She said. A sudden movement startled her. Sasuke had extended his hand to help her up. Using her meager amount of strength, Kishomi gripped his hand and slowly stumbled to her feet."

Sasuke swung her arm around his shoulder and helped Kishomi make her way back home.

"Hey… arigato… Sasuke." Kishomi said, limping into her room from her open window. Sasuke tipped his head slightly.

"Oh- well I'll tell Master Kakashi about your rest that is needed." He said, and disappeared.

Kishomi lay flat on her bed. It was so weird how Sasuke was from the way Sakura described him. He was sort of… the opposite."

So... what do you think? Is it better? R&R! (or else... I will summon gaara and kill you all...jkjk )


	4. Chuunin Exams!

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any Naruto charats… so yea… **

**Akisumai should be deleted shouldn't it? I look to it as a past experience of horrid thoughts…. '' **

**Anyways… read on about Sakada Kishomi! This will be a good fan fiction! (I'll make it good ♥!)**

**R&R- and give me the plot on the forest part of the chuunin exams! I dunno what happens!**

_One week later…_

Kishomi speedily got ready to meet the rest of her comrades at the bridge. Someone had pinned a kunai knife with a note on her door yesterday, telling Team 7 to meet at the bridge. (most likely Kakashi.) Kishomi was in a good mood from sheer excitement. Her chakra had been restored quickly, and most of all, she had mastered the art of invisibility.

Kishomi recalled the proud moment. _Flashback: Kishomi had read the scroll carefully again, for the tenth time in a row, then gave the skill one solid shot. She checked the mirror for any missing spots that she forgot to cover, but her entire body blended into the environment, like camouflage._

"I'm ready for whatever today's got for me!" Kishomi said, and jumped out her window. The bridge overlooked the entire village of Konoha, so it was almost impossible to miss. Three people stood in the middle under the rafters: Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.

Kishomi greeted them with a smile. "Glad to see you're back! " Naruto said, grinning widely. Sakura nodded. Sasuke: …

"It'll be quite a while until Kakashi- sensei gets here," Sakura said, slumping. (INNER SAKURA: What is he always so frickin' late!)

Kishomi heard the slightest sound of footsteps behind her. She spun around. It appeared to be three people, all her age, two boys and a girl. Another team.

"Well, well… if it isn't the rookie team 7 with a new tag-along," a boy said. He had a dog sitting atop his head. It peered down at Kishomi with narrow eyes.

"Shut up Kiba," Sasuke said. His hand already reached for the kunai knife in his holster. Kiba snorted.

"Trying to reach for a weapon, eh, Sasuke?" he said. He reached into his own shuriken holster. The girl behind him grabbed his shoulder.

"Stop Kiba! Don't get into any fights!" she said, looking at Naruto. Kiba pushed her away.

"Don't go easy on these three, Hinata! And neither the new girl! She looks _tough_," he said, crossing his arms and winking at Kishomi. She flinched.

Kiba smirked, but the boy standing behind him adjusted his shades and stepped up. "Could you just do me a favor and let us get on out of here?" he said firmly. Kiba had a surprised look on his face.

"You too Shino? I never knew my team went soft on these freaks." Kiba retorted.

"Trying to psych us all… Kiba, is it?" Kishomi asked, glancing annoyingly at the dog- boy.

"Heh- pleased to hear you actually talk." Kiba said, grinning slightly. Naruto and Sakura eyed Kiba with glaring eyes. They had their hands reached for their own holsters.

Kiba smiled, while Hinata and Shino stood helpless. "What a waste of time… we'll catch you later… that is…" he said. "Let's go. Shino? Hinata?" All three jumped out of sight on the command.

Kishomi looked disgusted. "What's with them, anyway?" she asked, looking at Sakura. She shrugged. (INNER SAKURA: And you expect me to know these dorks!)

"Kiba- thinks he's a big shot and tries to 'scare' others with his weak remarks," Sasuke said. "Pity he likes you, Kishomi."

So Sasuke had noticed too. Kishomi flinched again. She had already despised the stupid kid and his mangy mutt from the beginning.

"Why hello! I'm afraid my alarm clock went off a _little_ late this morning…" a voice and behind them.

"KAKASHI -SENSEI! YOU LIAR!" Sakura yelled. "Could you at least pity us for waiting so long?" Naruto nodded in agreement.

"So what's the big business we have today?" Kishomi asked, looking up at her teacher, who was perched on the railing of the bridge. Kakashi laughed.

"Chuunin exams. I've… asked for you to enter along with Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto." He said, jumping down. Kakashi reached for something in his back pocket.

"Here's your application," he said. "Fill it out and return it to the entrance of Konoha School tomorrow." Kishomi took the form and nodded.

"Tomorrow's already the exam?" Kishomi said in panic, after scanning the application quickly. "Nande! But that only gives me one day to prepare!" Kakashi shook his head.

"A self- taught ninja like you won't have to worry about getting ready for this exam." He said, reassuring Kishomi. "You will see how it works out- even if we're on an uneven team, the proctors will figure something out in this condition!" he said, and disappeared with a quick 'whish' of wind. Kishomi stood with a blank- stare.

"Exams… the worst thing possible…" she said with fear. Naruto laughed and slapped her on the back.

"Nothing to worry about! With me on your team, we'll pass this like it was a joke!" he said. (_Riiight…)_ The rest of the team only eyed him with glares. –sweatdrop-

Alriiiiiighhht! Now… I got to know how to put it through the chuunin exams… I can't really alter how it goes… so it'll be really tricky. R&R- and help me here! thanks.

peace sign-


	5. Part 1 of the Chuunin Exams Begin!

I give a grateful thanks to Rhythmic for helping me with the chuunin exams… arigato!

-Please tell me all my little glitches in NARUTO… I try my hardest to make Kishomi blend into the story as if she _actually_ was a character.

-Kiba should not like Hinata… they don't look very good together… to all the people that think so… grrr…

Should I actually make Kishomi's parents come into the story? And I forgot to add… Kishomi _does_ come from a kekkai genkai bloodline; she inherits something in the next few chapters… SORRY! I didn't explain it in the bio… I was still researching what to name her special jutsu. (_Kiwaku…_)

Anyways… read review! I need some criticism to keep me going! (Just not anything about Kishomi and her awesome relationship with Kiba… it burns me up hearing people say that Hinata is better…)

(Part 1 of the Chuunin Exams begins…)

Kishomi, Sakura and Sasuke walked up to the wide doors of room 301, where their first stance of the exams would commence. Naruto ran over to Kakashi surging with pure delight.

"Hey, HEY! Are we gonna take this test thingy now… or what? I'm ready!" he said, jumping and holding his fists up. Kakashi stared at him, while his comrades eyed him with annoyance. OO

"This may be a little… confusing," Kakashi-sensei began," Considering that we are a four man cell- it would be a special situation for all the shinobi taking this test." He shrugged.

"You will see once you get in there- it'll all come out fine." He said. Kishomi smiled and nodded.

"Let's go!" Naruto urged his comrades impatiently. Team 7 walked through the doors and onto part 1 of the Chuunin Exams. Once the doors had shut behind them, Kishomi stood in awe and shock.

"This…many people? All here to test their skills…eh? It's overwhelming…" she thought, gazing around the room. Ninjas of all ages reclined lazily on the chairs or lie down on the desks carefully watching the rookies. Kishomi ignored her team's interactions with other cells. She needed full concentration on how this was to go.

"KISHOMI!" Naruto called. Three cells, very much like Kishomi's herself (except for the fact that they have _three _people, not_ four_.) gathered around a strange guy with eyeglasses that seemed to send a warning to all the others taking the test. Kabuto, he was called, as Kishomi had heard. Kabuto flicked out a card indicating all data on the villages that had sent ninja to take the exams here in Konoha. Kishomi saw no interest in the cards until Kabuto granted Sasuke's request on the dossier cards. She eyed Sasuke's interests in two particular people, both very strong.

"Eh? Rock Lee…" she thought as Kabuto displayed Lee's information on the card, but another worthy ninja from Sunagakure. Rock Lee and Gaara…both very strong- and creepy in their own ways. Kishomi shivered.

"Nervous?" a voice questioned behind her. Kishomi whirled around to face the stuck-up dog boy, Inuzuka Kiba and his stupid mutt, Akamaru. Kiba smirked and his beloved dog stared down on Kishomi with narrow and beady eyes.

"Heh- Don't make me laugh, Kiba…" Kishomi replied, glaring up at the snobbish kid. "That's the last emotion I'd have on my mind." Kiba smirked again.

"With our team's training- there's no way we're gonna fail! As for your fellow team members… pitifully… I wouldn't imagine how _they'd_ get through such a _difficult_ test." Kishomi tightened her jaw and her glance turned dark.

"Shut up… dog boy- my team members are not pure idiots… they've been trying as hard as they could to make it here along with the other rookies. That gives you no right to insult my cell!" Kishomi shot back defensively. Kiba sneered.

"I wasn't talking about you, Kishomi…" he said, "If it offends you oh so much, protecting your weak comrades. A self- taught ninja like you don't belong with such low lives." Kiba said without a hint of regret in his voice. Naruto stepped up with a sinister look on his face. It appeared he had listened in on the conversation along with the other teams that were staring at Kishomi and Kiba now.

Naruto threw a dirty look at Kiba. "You shut your wordy mouth up! You wouldn't beat me, much less anyone else! Talking trash about my own team makes you even a lower lowlife!" Naruto spat out.

Kiba was speechless. Naruto had found his weakness in what he had just stated. Hmm… that big-talker would make a good opponent one day, Kiba thought.

A threatening man appeared behind the rookies with a cloud of smoke. Proctors of the chuunin exams stood behind him. "ORE WA- Morino Ibiki!" He yelled. The rookies gulped as he eyed each and every one of them squarely in the eye. His disturbing glance stopped on three members from, sound, as indicated from their headbands.

"You guys there! This isn't a time to fool around! You'll get disqualified if you put one more foot outta line!" (Ya hear, ya hear?) Ibiki shouted at the Oto team.

"You will get a number signifying where you will sit in this exam! Now, as we all know, there is one team with an extra member. That team will soon understand that this test will be more of a challenge to them as they go- but it would be a big surprise for all the rest of us if they manage to pass!" Ibiki stated flatly. Kishomi stared at Ibiki with hard eyes. He couldn't scare her, much less Sakura.

As Kishomi got her number, she sat down. Her hopes of getting past this exam erased any doubts she would have. "I'd have to pay attention to every question and use brain on this… paper test- if I want to pass!" Kishomi thought.

"Sakada Kishomi… heh… my lucky day," someone's voice said beside her. Kishomi turned her head to the right and sighed. Kiba sat next to her. He grinned as she noticed his existence.

"Hmph. What's so lucky about getting to sit next to me? You're annoying, Kiba." Kishomi said. She turned away and Kiba was left with nothing but a stunned look on his face.

"She… also thinks I'm annoying." Kiba thought, looking down under his hood. "This is bothering me… Kishomi's always been mean or irritated when she sees me." Kiba's eyes lowered as he stared into his lap. Akamaru crawled down from his head and curled into his arms.

"Enough! The test begins…NOW!" Ibiki declared loudly. Every ninja's head bent forward as they picked up their pencil to begin the written part of the Chuunin exams.


	6. Reveal the Kekkai Genkai!

"Crap, crap, crap!" Kishomi thought. She bit her pencil nervously. This test was a no-win situation. Her team needed each member to get all ten points. Kishomi was nearly screwed. Four members, forty points- and she only knew how to answer the first and third question.

Kishomi's eyes darted suspiciously around the room. Proctors were seated in chairs, watching each and every move of the test takers. Her glance finally stopped on Kiba's head, where Akamaru, his dog sat atop, peering around the room with his narrow eyes. Kishomi stared at the dog, thought for a minute, and then froze.

"So that was it! Ibiki wanted everyone to put their stealth skills to the test! They _wanted_ us to cheat, but yet be unseen!" Kishomi thought, almost blurting out the words. She paused, then dropped her pencil with a soft clatter.

"My true Sakada clan power must be unveiled, unheard of by others… Kiwaku Haaku- the memory grasper technique, kekkai genkai of the clan!" Kishomi thought loudly inside her head. She closed her eyes and concentrated on one target that she had studied carefully before. Kishomi would extract and trace the memory back to this particular person. Her mind closed in on the person three rows down to the left.

"Heh…now for the perfect aim." Kishomi thought, smiling behind her brown hair. She opened her eyes very suddenly, staring far into an imaginary distance. The target was sitting and carefully writing, but then stopped so suddenly. He was stock-still.

"Wha- what's hap…?" Kishomi's target thought, but all thoughts were shut down, as well as any physical movements.

Kishomi smiled. Her memory grasper could take full control of anyone's previous thoughts and memories. "Now all I have to do is dig through this person's thoughts on how to figure out the problems," Kishomi thought to herself. A 'thought' symbol was engraved across her neck. She was thinking.

She concentrated on how problem 2 was done, then scribbled the work down onto her paper, as well as the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth question.

"Looks like my target was the worthy one on the first attempt!" Kishomi mused as she jotted down the fifth question. This memory was so much to withstand, even for a first-timer.

After writing non- stop for ten minutes, Kishomi 'un-prisoned' her target and immediately felt a wind lash. She lurched forward and then invisible arms seemed to yank her back, as if prying her away from that person's mind. "Uhn… ow…" Kishomi muttered, rubbing her head. The 'thought' mark across her top half of her neck, indicating neck a special move had disappeared.

Kiba eyed the recovering Kishomi curiously. "Seems she caught on too- heh." He thought, smirking. Kiba's test was already filled with writing of all sorts, except for question ten. Kishomi's looked nothing different.

"Crap… a headache…" Kishomi thought, wincing when a pang of throbbing pain surged through her head. The memory grasper didn't usually have side effects if someone wasn't lost in thought. But when the target is struck, their thoughts are put on hold, causing the memory to jumble up. Then the memories would start forming a mass of strange chakra extracted from the person's reminiscence, sending all of the energy into the user's body. (Like Kishomi) But negative side effects occur because the brain can't handle too much chakra at once, since it has been forced into Kishomi's body so fast. Her body can only take a little at a time, but the pressure causes a headache, while making Kishomi's chakra reserves bigger and stronger. This special kekkai genkai is also for maintaining your on chakra reserves to enlarge from another's memory. (Just a little lesson to share that I conjured up while writing! )

Kishomi stared down at her sheet of paper. Her eyes seemed to burn holes into the paper as she waited for a long time.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"The tenth question will now be announced!" Ibiki bellowed, snapping Kishomi out of her blank stare. She sat up straight, and picked up her pencil and flicked it back and forth, awaiting the question.

"But the thing is… we don't have time for lowlifes anymore- so whoever wants to reject this question will fail immediately!" Ibiki said. Kishomi looked around in surprise as people reluctantly rejected and stalked out of the room, never to become a chuunin.

A sudden gesture caught Kishomi's eye. Naruto was slowly putting up his hand, while trembling. "I'll accept your stupid question! I don't want to throw my life away!" he yelled, which stunned the remaining test takers.

Sakura: Good, an idiot like him needs to. He didn't even stop to think of us.

Sasuke: Anything for passing this exam! sigh

Kishomi: Nice, you almost scared us to death, Naruto!

Ibiki grinned, and then hesitated. "Well… all of you who are still here… you have PASSED THE FIRST PART OF THE CHUUNIN EXAMS!" Ibiki stated defiantly. Kishomi's eyes grew big.

"But… why? We did other questions for no reason then?" she thought. Everyone else was just as taken back as Kishomi. Whispers were heard from throughout the room.

"We wanted to cheat like shinobi, using your own unique skills to do so!" Ibiki explained, "You still had to do the problems, but with your stealth skills!"

"So I get it…" Kishomi thought. She grinned and put down her pencil. Her eyes glowed with excitement for Part 2 of the Chuunin exams.

PREVIEW OF NEXT CHAPTER…

Kishomi and her teammates are charged up for Part 2 of the exams, but can they stand the sadistic Anko? Kishomi is faced with a no-win situation… she's lost her teammates and worse, _taki_ (waterfall) genin are after her scroll with a strong intent to kill! Will she be able to escape their abstract skills?

**RR! Domo arigato, tomotachi!**


	7. The Remaining Taki Genin and Dusk

I can say arigato to my friend here for kind of editing my chapter… before we all went to play my worst skill… DDR! Anyways… thank you! It sorta… helped…

OK! Japanese word lesson! (I'm getting better-smirk-) Tomotachi-means... FRIEND! alright? ok...i think you guys got it.

Kishomi's thoughts made her idle to the second chief officer's directions and explanations. "Crap… "She thought. "This isn't good at all… there's a creepy snake guy that's bloodthirsty and a proctor who's gone insane!" Kishomi watched Anko's cat-like eyes intently. "She's just dying for us to get wiped out…" she said with a dangerous tone of voice.

Mitarashi Anko whipped out a stack of consent forms, and passed them around. Kishomi took hers and quickly jotted the needed information down, using a borrowed pencil from Sakura.

As Kishomi watched the Kusanin Grass Trio stand with their arms crossed, she noticed peculiar tags hanging from their rice-picker hats had writing on them. She stepped closer for a better look.

"Hanzai…aku…batsu- that's crime, evil, and punishment!" she gasped, eyes still fixed on the three mysterious ninjas. Kishomi retracted a step as the middle ninja tilted his head up. Although the hat still shielded his face from being seen, Kishomi had a feeling that he was looking straight at her.

"Kishomi! Let's get in line! They're distributing the scrolls now!" Sakura called, pulling Kishomi from the distracting glance of the other two ninjas. They had been watching her disturbingly with narrowed eyes. She joined her team in line, looking at the curtain concealing the identity of each scroll given out.

As Team 7 went behind the curtain, they were given a "ten" scroll, meaning heaven. Kishomi eyed the scroll with a fixed look.

"That creep Anko for us all to fight to the death, doesn't she? This is **so** not good." She thought, musing to herself what she would do if any enemy were to come in her way.

Kishomi stood at her respective gate, along with her other team members, awaiting the release of the fenced door to send them into the depths of the dark _mori._

A smirk from Anko's cocky face signaled all the ninjas into their ready positions. One glance was all they needed to get this exam heated up. Anko stepped forward and announced, "Part two of the Chuunin exams start… (Kishomi bent forward with her eyes set on an opening into the forest.) NOW!" The wrought-iron gate swung open, but the four rookies had already darted into the dim shadows, leaving their dust and the rusty iron door creaking. The thirst for action already sent them into the forest.

Kishomi shot past Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke and hid behind a tree. Thinking her team members were nearby, she jumped out, only to find that she was all alone. "Damn! I lost them when I ran too fast!" Kishomi cursed. She drew out her kunai knife and used her paranoid senses to detect any sign of a presence nearby.

However, her sense of hearing was no match for another elite team. Something or someone had crept up behind Kishomi without a hint of sound. With no hesitation, it kicked Kishomi's back, sending her skidding across the bumpy dirt. "Heh," Kishomi said, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. It was only a mere illusion of a shadow doppelganger.

The real Kishomi stepped out from behind a tree trunk. She balanced on a thin limb, only to find that it wasn't strong enough to withstand her weight. But before the limb had even made a cracking sound, Kishomi had already jumped to the ground. She snatched out shurikens and another kunai knife.

"Show yourself, you coward!" Kishomi yelled, hands retracted back, ready to assault her enemy. She heard snickers, multiple snickers all around her. Different voices circled her mind and water filled her mouth, muting her sound and caused her to hallucinate her past.

: Flashback :

_"Kishomi-chan! Now that you are already four, it's time Okasan and Otosan let you carry on our family's custom! You must go out there independently and train only by yourself, just like your siblings!" Okasan said, smiling warmly._

_"We are all self-taught ninjas of the Sakada clan that are on their own by the time they are old enough to walk and talk, as well as the other needs people have! We ninjas only get as good as we make of ourselves! That is our code of formality in our esteemed clan, Kishomi-chan! Now, don't play with your shurikens and kunai just yet! Learn to use them and master the art of throwing them at your enemies!" Kishomi's mother said. Under the shiny dark brown mass of hair, Kishomi looked up and her light grey eyes stared up at her mother. She nodded._

_"Right Okasan! I'll be the best self-taught ninja and beat out my brother and sister!" Kishomi stated boldly. Her eyes shone and seemed to smile, despite her serious look._

:End Flashback:

"AUGGH! Is… this… genjutsu?" Kishomi thought with horror, but before she could say another work, three kunai knives stabbed into her pained back, but vanished. Her life flashed before her as she sawhell and heaven part in a split second.It was genjutsu, the skill of hallucination. Kishomi's back throbbed, although no sign of cuts or blood were seen.

"Crap…blortch" Kishomi threw up to erase the pain. Her forehead formed beads of sweat that trickled down her hot face. A waterfall genin and his comrades jumped out of the trees. Genin from Taki no Kuni, Hidden Village of the Waterfall.

"Looks like bait here…" the genin scoffed. The boy adjacent to him spat and sneered at Kishomi.

"Konoha's genin are seriously only this strong? Feh- how pathetic." The boy insulted, but Kishomi rose quickly and chucked her shurikens at her enemies. The _taki_ genin only snickered more and jumped out of the way.

"You shut up! I've lived in your own pitiful village for two years!" She screamed and formed her hands in the sign of the ox. Fwup, fwup, fwup… multiple katas were performed.

"This is my last resort! My specialty…Nekkyo Ustu Koto- Berserk Strike!" Kishomi shouted, and seemed to disappear as fast her words. The waterfall genin looked up, down, behind, below. Kishomi was nowhere to be seen.

"Where the hell did she go?" the boy thought. "Could she have escaped, thinking we were too strong for her?" He did his own katas and turned into water doppelgangers, which then searched the vast area for any sign of his fixed opponent.

"She better not have run, we've got an incomplete mission on our hands if that brat escaped!" the girl genin said. A lash of strong wind caught the _taki _genin back on their guard.

"I'm right here you baka!" Kishomi spat out, and shurikens along with kunai knives sprung out everywhere in a flurry of pure speed. The path of the shuriken seemed to leave an after-trail of quick light. The genin didn't seem to notice the shurikens fast enough and got completely ripped up.

"AUGGH!" they yelled, clutching their heads to shield their faces, as more and more blades danced throughout the air and snatched at them. Blood spurted and dripped heavily after Kishomi had decided they had enough.

"What the… she's so fast!" one of the waterfall genin said, while wincing in terrible pain. His body was covered in gashes that bled uncontrollably, as well as his bloodied comrades. Crimson blood soaked the once damp, green grass. Kishomi smirked and stepped up to them.

"I guess genin from waterfall aren't up to much speed, hmm?" she said scornfully and stared at the three genin. The girl shook with coldness and extended a scathed arm. It stayed up only for a split second, then dropped limp to the ground.

"Spare us… we beg of you… you can take our scroll… just… spare us…" the girl forced out, through heavy breathing. She coughed up blood. Her other wounded team members nodded sheepishly in agreement. Kishomi scoffed.

"Why would _I_ want your scroll?" she remarked rudely. The girl wavered, then reached behind her back pocket and produced a heaven scroll.

"Here…" she whispered, and threw the scroll. The team's prized possession rolled absentmindedly until it lightly touched Kishomi's _zori. _Kishomi saw that these _taki_ genin wanted her mercy. But the problem was, her team had already gotten a heaven scroll.

"It's of no use, you know. My team already carries the heaven scroll- so that worthless wad of paper means nothing." Kishomi said crudely, and kicked the scroll aside.

"Heh…seems you've fallen for our plan…" someone said behind Kishomi. She gasped and jumped up into the air. One of the waterfall genin had revived himself using his chakra!

"Damn it! How could I fall for such an obvious trap… but wait… how did they know I already had a heaven scroll and why would the other two ninjas risk getting hurt?" Kishomi thought. But before she knew it, the genin was right above her in midair. He flipped and slammed his leg down on Kishomi's head forcefully. The blow was made even worse with chakra generated into that body part.

"AUGHH!" Kishomi was sent straight down. One of the other _taki_ genin used the last of his strength to summon a full blow of leg power. He jerked his right leg into Kishomi's stomach, sending her sideways before she skidded across the ground.

Kishomi gasped out blood. "Argh… you… you lowlife! Both of your other comrades risked their life to construct this idiot plan so I could get hurt, but yet you just heal yourself with chakra and take your own hit at me!" she yelled at the waterfall genin.

He looked at his teammates in disdain. "I'd do anything to get people… especially rivals out of my way…like you!" he said, changing his glance on Kishomi.

Her eyes filled with hatred. "Don't even try to insult my clan… we self-taught ninjas make you a freak compared to our skills!" she shot back with a firm tone. Kishomi wiped away blood trickling from her mouth.

"Hmph. The Sakada clan, eh? I know you better than you'd ever know me!" the waterfall genin said with sheer confidence. His fixed stare turned back onto his comrades once more with no regrets, despite the fact that one was already unconscious and lying in a pool of fresh blood and one was shaking with utter cold. Kishomi gritted her teeth as she watched the other two _taki_ genin suffer.

"Well bastard… aren't you going to help your teammates?" Kishomi said lowly as she painfully got up. She brushed off dirt and grime from her soiled clothes. Blood trickled from her forehead. The boy shrugged and turned away from his allies.

"This whole thing… was part of the plan… only I wouldn't get hurt… don't you understand? We all came from separate clans… and my clan of the Kyoretsu has nothing to do with… them…" he said, disgusted by the state of his comrades. Kishomi's eyes radiated with anger.

"Your clan… a rival to mine? What… is that why you came here in the first place? To destroy me and my clan?" She said, looking him squarely in the eye. Her glittering grey eyes seemed to pierce him. The waterfall genin retracted a step.

"That glance… it glows with the dying rage of the Sakada… I recognize you! Your branch in the Sakada clan is one of the most elite! The family with wolf-like eyes, like my parents used to say!" the boy said.

Kishomi hated the boy's remark about her disturbing glance. She recalled more memories of her past.

:Flashback:

_Thock! Kishomi threw her first shuriken, which barely made it to the straw kakashi hung on a tree in the forest. She retrieved the shuriken and repeated the steps, starting from her holster. Shift out, spin smoothly, then… THROW! The whizzing ninja star made its way to the straw man. THOCK! It wedged itself into the deep yellow straw._

_"Hmm… something isn't quite right…" little six-year old Kishomi remarked. "I keep aiming for the center, but the shurikens only headed for other parts of the body!" _

:End Flashback:

Kishomi's stomach was in pain, and her forehead throbbed. Thick blood still poured from the wound the taki genin had made. It was now dark, but yet Kishomi had a strong desire to keep going in deep-darkness of this _mori. _

Kishomi tried hard not to fall asleep as one eyelid slipped down. She shook herself and shifted her position. She stood up again, but staggered. In her hand rested a kunai knife, in case any other ninja were to attack. She knew she couldn't stay here, especially when it was already nightfall and her life was at its peak of danger. The forest remained still as before, but the sense of a hazardous enemy nearby chewed on Kishomi's mind.

"You're only a waste of time- I don't have time for big talk right now! I've lost my comrades and it's already sundown!" Kishomi snapped at the remaining waterfall genin. She held up her kunai knife in her palm and hastily snatched out three more kunai knives with a light ching and twirled the blades endlessly. The metal clinked together like trinkets, gleaming in the dim moonlight.

The _taki_ genin laughed. He got serious when Kishomi held up her hand to strike and whisked out shurikens of his own. Kishomi backed a step, but gripped her weapons tightly. The waterfall genin had already thrown a shuriken at her, but Kishomi hoped out of the way. She retracted her hand and forcefully released one of her kunai knives.

The sharp dagger cut through the air and headed for her opponent at full speed. The genin smirked and caught the blade with two extended fingers. The kunai knife seemed like it hadn't done any damage to him at first, but after a split second, the sharpness of the points cut into his hand and tore his skin open. Blood trickled down his arm, darkened by the dim light.

"Fool…you think some meager strength like that is seriously going to kill me?" the _taki _genin said derisively. Kishomi lowered her head and stepped back. She couldn't really do **anything **to hurt this genin. Her weapons were almost out and her chakra was running pretty low.

"Crap…" Kishomi muttered. She was practically out of everything. She'd be finished if she didn't do something fast. Kishomi jumped up and into a tree. The genin flung more shuriken at her, but Kishomi dodged them again and again with her agility. More and more ninja stars cut through the tree leaves, demolishing greenery as Kishomi rushed past each one.

Kishomi's strength was decreasing, and she felt dizzy from evading all the blades the _taki _genin had tossed at her. "You…I'll finish you even if it costs me my life!" she vowed as she gasped frantically for air. The waterfall genin smiled.

"I'd like to see you try… Kishomi!" he said. Kishomi froze. What did that creep just say? He knew… her name?

"Say…what?" Kishomi said, astonished at the genin's emotion. Her eyes were burning with interest in what his next reaction would be. The waterfall genin took a step back, but grinned.

"Don't think your prestigious clan is a total mystery to me…alas, you have fallen for another one of my set traps." He stated with a vengeful glare. Now Kishomi pulled back a step. She couldn't believe it.

R&R!

PREVIEW OF NEXT CHAPTER…

Kishomi and this mysterious waterfall genin are in danger; it's already getting dark! And worst of all, this guy knows her name… what can **_he_** be up to now? Kishomi is faced with a tough situation here; can she get through the forest with this freak?


	8. Ore Wa Kyoretsu Nagare! Omae o Korosu!

Kishomi froze in total awe as the _taki_ genin continued to smirk while doing multiple katas. She observed the hand motions closely as she backed away even more. Seal of the horse…dragon…ram…ox…bird…monkey…boar…and then snake. "What the?" Kishomi thought warily as water formed around her arrogant opponent.

"You'll never defeat me with the power and skill I use now, Kishomi! The Kyoretsu bloodline will crush your clan and send them to hell…" the genin smiled slyly as a stream of water shot at Kishomi, full speed. Kishomi was yet too slow to block even this vigor of water.

"AHHHHHH! –spits-"Kishomi sputtered as the torrent of water coiled stiffly around her body. The water was like steel, overwhelming her helpless self slowly and painfully. Kishomi struggled with endless efforts to break free of the iron grip the waterfall genin had on her.

"Die here Kishomi, for your clan will be **_no_** match against my elite family!" the _taki_ genin said grimly, eyes glazed with vehemence. Kishomi gritted her teeth harder as the water compressed tighter around her.

"So…-gasp-…all this was...for…rivalry…between your clan…and mine? A **set** path? Some…**incomplete** mission!" Kishomi gasped out as water filled her mouth to silence her. The genin laughed, and made a fist.

"Nothing matters now! If I kill you…I will make my clan top in the village…and the **world**!" the genin declared. Kishomi gazed annoyingly at him.

"No matter how hard you try…your hopeless efforts won't…beat ME!" she yelled, and broke free from the grip of the water coils. Kishomi huffed and spat out water. She hung over greatly, but endured the pain.

The waterfall genin gasped. Had she the **strength** to destroy his steel coils of water, one of his specialties? He receded and jumped high, using chakra focused into the soles of his feet. Kishomi's glare followed the genin as he dove for her from above. His hand snatched out kunai blades and he flung the knives at Kishomi, who whisked out a kunai knife just in time and knocked out all the daggers with her own agility. The taki genin hurled himself at her but Kishomi blocked his fists with her arms held over her face.

Kishomi scoffed as she twisted her left leg to kick the genin aside. He was thrown back by the blow into his stomach and coughed out blood. But the waterfall genin wasn't ready to give up so easily though. He got back up and wiped away the ruby red liquid that trickled down from his half opened mouth. The genin lunged for Kishomi again, but she slid out of the way. The _taki_ genin skidded across the dirt. Kishomi was good, as well as fast in speed. He made another fist and went for Kishomi, but she blocked it with no sign of sweat.

His other hand went for her face. She had blocked that too, but his free leg twisted to the right and broke her stand. Kishomi slipped and fell to the ground, sprawled out. The genin slammed his fist down on Kishomi's stomach before she could force herself up.

"K-Kuso…my back…" Kishomi stuttered, then spat out warm blood. The crimson liquid dripped onto the dark forest floor. The _taki_ genin smiled again. **Score**.

"Seems you're not up to snuff- eh, Kishomi?" he said, grinning wider. "Looks like your pitiful clan is nothing compared to mine!" Kishomi narrowed her eyes as they glittered with killer sanity in the night.

"Shut up…I will exterminate you!" She growled back at he opponent. "You're just all talk and your stuck up clan is nothing **but **a mystery to me! I know you're not after my stupid scroll anyway!" the genin sneered.

"Ah…_ so desu_. The Kyoretsu, fierce waterfall ninjas. _Ore wa _Nagare. Kyoretsu Nagare!" he said, giving a cocky look. Kishomi gave him a scowl. What a horrible intro.

"You keep your dirty looks to yourself! We'll see who's gonna make it out of here alive!" Naruto protested, drawing a kunai out of his holster. Kishomi only sighed.

"You're just a full-time bragger…all talk and no action bores me, Nagare." She said, getting up and stumbled to her feet. "Come at me and see what you're in for!" Nagare nodded and small smile formed on his lips. Kishomi stood, ready to attack. The opponents had kunai knives gripped in their palms tightly. They charged for each other at the same time.

CHINNG! The kunai blades collided with each other concurrently. Neither of them was thrown back. Kishomi and Nagare were now both in a wrestle with weapons. Both of them shook, trying to withstand one another's overwhelming strength.

"You wouldn't want me to scar that sweet face of yours, would you?" Nagare said coolly. Kishomi gave him an intent glare. She released one hand's grasp on the kunai knife, but yet she could hold Nagare's strength of both hands. Kishomi reached for her last blade. Nagare's eyes widened in surprise.

"You wouldn't dare would you?" he said, eyes glittering frigidly at Kishomi, who smirked. She flicked her blade and cut him on the shoulder. The wound opened a layer of flesh, bleeding freely down his arm. Kishomi cut his stomach, which caused Nagare to fall back, gripping his abdomen.

"_Chikuso…_" Nagare cursed as his hand was soon soaked in warm blood. Kishomi didn't back down so much though. She headed for him, determined to make her point to kill his overconfident attitude he was displaying so proudly before.

"Look who's talking now! You **_really_** think you'd endure my strength? Get a load of THIS!" Kishomi yelled, and focused chakra into her feet. She charged full speed, encircling Nagare with her two kunai blades. Repeatedly, the genin had one new crimson mark on his skin.

"AUGHH! You BASTARD!" he shouted, clutching his head to shield his face from getting wounded. His efforts were hopeless. Kishomi just kept going. She intended to cut Nagare to ribbons, no matter what. That's what you get for insulting my clan, _Fierce Stream _(Kyoretsu Nagare…), Kishomi thought.

But it had to be stopped at one point. Kishomi skidded to a halt when she felt Nagare had had enough of his own medicine. "That serves you right, **_baka_**." She sneered. Kishomi stuck down one of her kunai knives before the wounded genin and looked up. The sun was slowly inching over the horizon. Dawn had come. Kishomi hesitated, then disappeared into the forest with a whish of wind.

Nagare wouldn't let her get away with this so fast. "_Kuso_…I can't end here like this!" He sputtered, and then threw up blood. His body looked so gruesome and useless, only gashes marked his well-built frame. His overcoat was nearly in shreds from the sharp touch of the kunai knives. That girl, Kishomi…is someone from a high caliber clan, but my elite family fights…to the death—**_it is our code_**, Nagare muttered, tone filled with bloodlust. He steadily stood up, staggering. His arms tingled with the tautness of dried blood as he made two fists.

Kishomi jumped far over rows of trees and think branches. She skidded to a stop when a strangely familiar tone startled her pathway. Her body was partially hidden in the brush as she watched three people converse. Her eyes concentrated for a better look. "Eh?" Kishomi thought, heart almost stopping. "That's…Kiba's team…-glare- what would THEY be doing here- in my way?" The three rookies stood while Kiba's dog rested. Kiba produced two scrolls and held them up to the light with a proud look highlighted on his face. Kishomi gasped.

They had already gotten the two required scrolls? "That's crazy…" Kishomi mumbled, gripping the wood branches for support. FWAM! A kunai knife barely missed Kishomi's hair as it hit the tree trunk.

Kiba was looking her way. It seemed he didn't recognize it was her. "Show yourself! We're on if you want to pick a fight coward! You're gonna be sorry for spying on US!" he yelled, pointing up into the trees. Kishomi stared dumbly at the dog boy. He apparently didn't know _who_ he was messing with. (Uh…N/A)

"What the HELL do you think you're doing…KIBA!" Kishomi shouted as she slipped quickly out of the brush and onto the flat tree trunk where Kiba's teammates were standing. "I don't want to fight you… BAKA YAROU!" Kiba grimaced and took a step back as Kishomi glared at him with flaring anger. Her eyes were burning with sheer annoyance. His face flushed in embarrassment as he took another step back behind his teammates. Hinata stared in confusion while Shino furrowed his brow with aggravation.

"_Sumimasen_…Kishomi-chan…heh heh…" Kiba started nervously, but then his tone changed to a cocky voice. "Where's your **_weakling_** team? Did you ditch them for good this time?" Kishomi sneered.

"ME? Hah! I wouldn't leave them if my life DEPENDED on it!" she shot back. Kiba smiled. Hinata had a pained look on her face now. She didn't like fights stirring up in such a vast forest. It would only draw more attention. Kiba ignored her fruitless protests and looked down. Kishomi had no time to waste on this dog boy and his little friends. –Eye turns suddenly with a sharp look to the left…- She ran over at full speed to Kiba and slammed him into the tree, just as a cluster of kunai rained down where Kiba previously was. Hinata and Shino had also made it in time. Nagare appeared out of the midst of a dirt cloud.

"Found you…" he said viciously, and drew out a kunai knife, held over his face. Kishomi's dim reflection shone off of the blade from the faint brightness of the sun.

Team 9 and Kishomi stood in awe as a bloodied _taki_ genin stood before them, bloodshot eyes set on Kishomi, filled with a hunger to kill. Kishomi's eyes grew big as she slowly stepped back. "I…thought…I thought I finished you off!" she said, voice faltering. Kishomi pointed at the cuts marked all over Nagare. He scoffed weakly.

TEAM 9?

Kiba: Who the hell is he? Is he here for Kishomi? That bastard's all bloodied, by the work of Kishomi-chan! –Shiver-

Hinata: Oh no! That enemy doesn't look too friendly at all! And the state he's in… so horrid!

Shino: -Hmph- That girl sure put that waterfall genin through some misery.

Akamaru: -Whimpers- His chakra and scent is strong and both unpleasant!

"Sorry, but my clan just **doesn't **go to shame in front of me!" Nagare said, and hidden blades shot out from inside his large overcoat. Although it was tattered, it seemed to be a nice cover-up for him. Kishomi took another small step back. She couldn't fight much more, especially without any weapons of any sort. Kiba shifted from the tree and took his place in front of Kishomi. He lowered his head and his sharp eyes glared at Nagare poisonously.

"If you try to even hurt Kishomi chan… **_Omae o KOROSU…_**" Kiba said lowly, and he removed his hood. Kishomi looked down and bit her lip. Kiba didn't have to make a scene. She slowly put her hand lightly on his shoulder.

"Kiba…" She began, but Kiba shook his head and moved her hand off. No, he wouldn't let her fight this creep alone. Nagare stifled a disgusted laugh.

"Trying to save her skin, eh? _Nande_? Is she so precious to you…dog boy?" he said, smirking in triumph. His words had a sharp edge in them that irritated Kiba.

"You can save your words! _I will protect her even at the cost of myself getting killed!_ Who gives you the right to call me dog boy? Only Kishomi-chan can label me that!" Kiba retorted. It seemed his eyes were blazing now, but Kishomi put her hand on his shoulder again to silence him.

"Kiba…this isn't a fight you'd understand… Kishomi said, trying to hide her gentle tone. If she was mistaken for Kiba's lover, it would be worse than embarrassment. "Nagare doesn't FULLY understand what it means…**_ to be a Sakada_**!" Kishomi snatched some kunais from Kiba's pack and jolted for Nagare from below. He fell back, but threw shurikens. Kishomi used one of her borrowed kunai blades to shield the ones coming for her.

"Your aim… is horrible!" she yelled, and flung kunais at Nagare. He smiled as he caught them with his web-like hands. Kishomi and Kiba gasped. Nagare smiled again and started making seals. So many unknown ones, he even had time to speak a few words.

"Don't forget I am from a _kekkai genkai_ as well, Kishomi! I can store away huge reserves of chakra at one time, then use it as regen to boost my spell power and strength later! I'll never be defeated by weaklings like you!" he said too overconfidently, and stopped.

"Water technique! Iron water-grip hallucination chamber!" he yelled as water came out of nowhere and encircled Kishomi. Claw-like features snatched at Kishomi, who tried escaping the water. Kiba looked bewildered along with his teammates. There was nothing he could do. Kishomi coughed and sputtered as the water filled her mouth and tied around her legs. She scrambled for a kunai blade and flung it at Nagare, who didn't notice it in time and ended up having to let the spell go to retrieve the knife from his chest.

"You aren't going to beat me…Nagare." Kishomi spat out, drawing out loads of ninja stars. (I wonder…how _many_ weapons did she steal off of Kiba?) Nagare took a big step back. Kishomi jumped onto a tall tree branch and jumped down, throwing out shuriken at Nagare, who shielded his face to block the attack. –SPLASH- Kishomi landed on the ground firmly in surprise. A water doppelganger? Nagare's voice trailed in the forest.

"_I will come back for you Kishomi…right when you least expect it…"_ he said, and faded away. But before Kishomi could react to the voice, a water ribbon shot out from nowhere and knocked her up into the air.

"ARGHH!" Kishomi yelled as she hit the tree branch from below and fell back down with a deafening thud firmly, right on her two feet. Kiba stared in terror as he rushed over to Kishomi.

"_Consider this attack a warning…"_ the same voice said maliciously and trailed off once more. Hinata and Shino ran over to inspect the lifeless girl.

Kishomi dropped to her knees, eyes glazed with unconsciousness, but her eyes were still open. She tried to hold herself up, but dropped down once more. Kiba caught her head right in time as she slumped into his lap.

"Kishomi!" Kiba cried out as the girl looked dead. Her eyes had closed, but her body lay limp. Hinata bent over ad examined the unconscious Kishomi. Her face was pale white and felt frigidly cold. Her headband had come loose and was now dangling helplessly over her brown hair.

Akamaru shrank down and crawled into Kiba's jacket. Kiba, Hinata, and Shino watched helplessly as Kishomi struggled inside her dark mentality to break free from Nagare's water hex.

Kishomi heard voices. So many voices. The slurred into a big jumble inside her head. She was caught once more in her own memory. Flashbacks appeared repeatedly as she crept through her shadowy mind.

:Flashback:

Kishomi walked the path to her house from the training grounds in the forest. She had been training again and was sweaty and cold from the bitter winter. She shivered as a drop of cold sweat trickled down her face and into her open hand. Kishomi slid open the door into her room. She glanced around, tired. Her eyes fluttered for a second, and she crawled onto her small wooden board bed. The shiny glaze gleamed in the afternoon sunlight, as the window blew open. An icy breeze flowed in. Kishomi shuddered as she pulled on a blanket to keep warm. She wiped her wet face with a damp cloth from a bowl set on her bureau.

A bowl of steaming rice and vegetables were already resting on her bedside table. At least her parents still cared for her health and well-being. Unraveled scrolls littered the floor of her room. A large oak bookshelf was laden with ninjutsu textbooks, master scrolls, and weapon holders, all arranged proudly by Kishomi when she had first started teaching herself ninjutsu. Kishomi sat cross legged, but her foot slipped out from under the blanket and kicked the window shut. A loud click was heard even before her toe barely touched the wood.

Kishomi let her foot dangle openly over her bed. She shifted positions and sat at the edge of the bed instead. She tried desperately to get up, but her sore body wouldn't give in to such simple movement. The little ten-year old ninja girl had learned her master technique, Berserk Strike.

:End Flashback:


	9. Relief From Fighting and The Conclusion ...

**

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READ IT. NOW I say, ya hear?

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**

Kishomi still struggled to break free. Nothing would hold her back, except for Nagare's unbreakable water spell. Team 9 watched with worried expressions painted on their faces. At this rate, Kishomi looked dead. Kiba's pained face and Hinata's timid look wouldn't leave Kishomi's pale face. Their everlasting glance was of no effect to the unconscious girl.

Kishomi shivered in the coldness of her own mind. She stared around in the blackness and wondered endlessly of what to do. Even if she ran, the stretching distance in her would just go on for infinite miles.

:Flashback:

_Kishomi sat with her mother and other members of her clan at the long, ebony table where her family often gathered. She tried hard to endure the hard wood floor and the blind numbness in her legs. It had been two hours since they had assembled, waiting for the head of the clan, Kishomi's father._

_It was a secret meeting. Their clan branches had all come and erased their presence in the village nearby. The house that stood on the outskirts of the city was almost deserted looking, for it was always so quiet and seemed as if it never existed. No one knew. The Village of Waterfall was one dead looking village, like nothing ever dwelled in the dense city._

_But it was winter, and snow caked the entire Takigakure village and all the fruitful trees had died and the greenery had all crumbled and flittered onto the ground. People could have a full view of the Sakada's residence from just the village._

_Kishomi nearly cried when the clock struck 5:30 pm. Her father was horribly late. This was unusual, since her father was never tardy, even on some regular meeting. Dosaan was unbelievably strict on time himself, so this strange contradiction was a surprise to all. But before the next thought was sent to Kishomi's memory, her father appeared, already sitting on the wood floor. He looked calm and his sharp grey eyes eyed everyone in the room. Several 'weak' members gasped in shock, while other 'stronger' members reacted with a grunt in reply and gave Kishomi's father a cynical look. _

_"We Sakada clansmen have gathered here today…" Kishomi's father began as he poured a hot kettle of green tea for himself. "To flee in fear that the government will have us all killed for our kekkai genkai. _

_Some faces were taken back by his sharp statement. Kishomi's father sipped his tea silently, allowing other clan members to argue with the statement. These were complaints of time and punishments._

_"But…we don't have time!" someone protested, setting his tea cup down on the polished black table with a loud clang. "It's winter! The children will freeze!" Kishomi's father said nothing. Other clansmen looked around for someone to speak. _

_Kishomi's Okachan bent her head down in fear. The members had to run away, or their high-supremacy clan would soon be wiped out. The Sakada clan was in danger, for a war tore regular ninjas and bloodline limit ninjas apart in the Land of the Wave._

_But something was wrong. Nobody from the government, until up to this point, knew that the Sakada's were more 'special' than others in their ninja history._

_Kishomi's father gazed at everyone in the room with a piercing glare. The protesting clan member had shrunk down when he received the irate look. "We have to get out of here! The war is still yet raging in the government's very core! If we stay any longer, no one will last!" Otosan snapped. His arms were crossed, showing his aggravation._

_Kishomi felt a shiver. She was only five. Could she possibly make it out of this mess when their clan was in jeopardy?_

: End Flashback:

Kishomi's eyes blinked open with a start. She stared around the dark forest, and the mossy smell of the wood greeted her with an uninviting scent. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light.

Kishomi shivered from bitter cold that struck the night air like a knife being pierced into one's heart. She stumbled, for her legs were sore and her arms pained. Her knees shook uncontrollably, as the air around her somehow became colder. Kishomi shook herself off from the coldness and fright. She took off again into the forest and searched attentively for her teammates. Her eyes nearly closed while her endless trek seemed to turn into a failure. The rest of team 7 was nowhere to be seen.

Kishomi stopped suddenly, certain that she heard someone's voice close by. Three genin. One with a cracked gourd. Her memory flashed in her mind. The guy Sasuke was interested in from Kabuto-san's dossier cards! Gaara of Sunagakure. Kishomi slipped closer to observe the scene.

An older boy was arguing with Gaara, while a scared looking girl tried to break them up. The other boy had strange facial make-up. "I wonder how his teammates put up with that stuff…how ugly…" Kishomi thought. Gaara stared at the boy with extremely unpleasant eyes. Kishomi shuddered as his black outlined eyes glared distastefully at his comrades.

"He looks younger than then all…yet he has the power to boss his older siblings around!" Kishomi thought as the three team members walked out of the clearing in the forest. She hesitated for a second, biting her fingers to concentrate.

"If I can't find Naruto, Sasuke, or Sakura…they're not gonna pass…and plus…I'd be doomed in this forest!" Kishomi mulled over. She sat cross-legged in deep concentration. "I'd better go look for them fast; the exam still has a day left until its end!"

But before Kishomi could think anymore, her eyes closed and she fell into a fruitless sleep. Her shadowy, dreaming mentality sent intense memories into her mind.

:;:;:Flashback:;:

"Uhn…Okachan! It's too much for me! I'm tired!" Kishomi complained as she stopped to rest. The clan had been running all night to escape from the Land of the Wave. Their speed and timing had hit the clock perfectly, making them void to any encounters with the government.

"No Kishomi! We cannot stop! This is a life and death choice you're making to rest!" Okachan said, jerking Kishomi's arm and dragging her behind herself. Kishomi tried hard to keep up with her mother's speed. She stumbled and tripped over a rock. Her face landed flat into the snow.

"Argh…"Kishomi muttered as her mother heaved her up and set Kishomi on her back.

"Now Kishomi, don't be too hasty. I'll carry you on my back instead," Okachan said and once again, she took off towards the Hidden Village of the Stones.

:End Flashback:

Kishomi woke up to find that her eyes were blinded by bright sunlight. Her hand shot up and shielded her from the morning rays.

"Augh…I'd better get something to eat…it's been a while since I last had a bite of food or water to drink…" Kishomi said to herself as she got up to her feet using the tree trunk as support. She stretched and cracked her knuckles with an audible crunch.

Kishomi jumped from her spot over the trees and scanned the forest for some food. Her eyes stopped on a small river that looked pleasing in the morning sun. Kishomi jumped down from the trees. Water was running with a comforting sound. This place was not like the forest, which was like dark moor, but it was the opposite. Tall boulders were around the area for her to sit on and fish were seen swimming plentifully in the stream. Kishomi grinned.

She walked over to the cool water and splashed her face with the refreshing liquid. Kishomi reclined on a warm rock. It was pure tranquil in a place like this. Why did the rest of the forest have to be all dark and scary? Kishomi lazily stared off into the distance while her hands combed through her tangled brunette hair, smoothing it out.

Kishomi drew out flint to start a fire and grabbed a stray stone. She struck the two objects forcefully together until sparks shot out. A fire was set, blazing cheerfully in the afternoon sun. Kishomi then grabbed a kunai knife from her back pocket (or should I say- Kiba's kunai knife…) and succeeded in spearing two fish from the stream.

The blaze crackled as the caught fish sizzled and cooked slowly. Kishomi occasionally turned the fish to cook the raw areas. When she decided that it was ready, her ravenous hands snatched up the fish and dove in. The juicy flesh of her lunch excited her senses and her sullen expression. Kishomi took some drinking water from her back pocket and swallowed the pure liquid in one gulp. She coughed a little from drinking the water too fast, but her hand quickly cupped her mouth to muffle her sounds. If enemies were in their hideout nearby, they'd spot her easily with the racket she was making.

Kishomi walked over to the stream and slipped off her _zori._ Her feet dipped into the warm flowing water. They drifted weightlessly along with the stream's flowing current. Kishomi propped her elbows on her knees and her chin rested on her sticky hands. She sat deep in thought, worried about the possible outcomes of the exam.

"Its day four… and I still haven't reached the tower! And plus, my teammates are without me…they wouldn't pass if I don't get there in time!" Kishomi thought, eyes staring blatantly at the aquamarine water. It sparkled with pure and soft radiance. The reflection of the midday sun rippled on its perpetual waves. Kishomi kicked her feet weakly to ignite some fun, but that only made things worse. It was noon and by noon tomorrow, they'd **_all_** have to arrive at the tower.

Kishomi took her dripping wet feet out of the water with a small splash. She sat on a rock, still barefooted, and waited for her feet to dry. The sun warmed her body and Kishomi flushed with a shudder. She shook off her repentance and put back on her shoes.

Kishomi stood up and cupped a handful of fresh water into her hand and splashed it over her dying fire. It was enough to smother the flames and the fire was out with a loud sizzle. Kishomi filled her bottle up with more water and jumped fast, disappearing into the forest once more.

She whisked out another kunai knife and ran through the trees. Her slate eyes glinted furiously from the light of her blade. Kishomi jumped quickly, her coffee colored hair whipping in the fast pace.

She spotted the tower peeking out overhead and smiled. **Bingo.** "Now all I have to do is get there by tomorrow," Kishomi thought to herself. She sped up and tore through the woods like a tiger on the prowl for its **_prey._**

It had been two of three hours when she finally could almost walk into the tower instead of jumping a distance. Kishomi's eyes were still burning with resolve like before, but she was clearly exhausted. A small clearing lie empty in front of her.

"Something's up… I don't like it…I sense danger painted all over that clearing. Someone's set traps for me not to reach the tower." Kishomi mumbled, filled with the troublesome thoughts of getting through all those hidden surprises. She carefully crept behind the bushes and spotted a kunai knife in the center stuck into the grass. It was wedged in carefully.

"Hmph… a trap- what's so _unobvious_ about that?" Kishomi thought stupidly. Her mind didn't seem to uncover the hidden meaning. She walked absentmindedly past the kunai knife, and into another set trap. A fake rock had been stepped on by her sandal and it triggered dozens of kunais to come at Kishomi.

"What the!" Kishomi gasped as the flurry of blades shot out at her from every direction. They pierced her flesh menacingly and stabbed her to death. Scarlet blood littered the floor generously.

But it wasn't to last. "Heh… still an amateur aren't you? To underestimate me like that… **is a mistake**!" Kishomi whispered loudly and the other dead girl turned into a block of wood. Kishomi had used the art of substitution to fool her enemies.

She leaped over the small clearing with chakra focused into her feet for an extra boost. Kishomi sailed through the air gracefully and arched her back in a flip. She landed on the treetops and gazed around her. Her stare stopped at a giant spider below her that hissed threateningly.

Kishomi went numb. A spider. A giant spider was below her, wanting to eat her flesh. She hesitated, then screamed loudly. "EAUGHH! EWWWW! A SPIDER!" Kishomi shrieked and spun the other way. Her face paled as the spider's murderous sounds came nearer.

Kishomi found that the only way to exterminate this bug was to attack it with all she was. She drew out three knives at the repulsive insect. "EAT THIS…YOU DISGUSTING BUG! BLEAAHHH!" Kishomi yelled presumably loud. The knives pierced the spider with a sickening _squish_. The guts of the spider splattered and plastered the area with disturbing greenish yellow goo that gave off a horrid stench.

Kishomi quivered as she landed on a tree top. "Whoa…" she stammered out, tittering with the breeze. She slowly stumbled to her feet and balanced with the tree. Kishomi sighed in relief and calmed herself. Her grey eyes glowed in the moonlight, like the moon against darkness. Her expression grew cold, and Kishomi wore a displeasing frown.

She stared at the tower from her view on the treetop. Kishomi's sharp gaze narrowed with a burning desire for a chance to grasp the opportunity of passing this exam. Eerie cries of unlucky ninjas were heard in the background of the driving breeze. "They must've fallen for a hidden trap. What mindless people…don't they know that during the exam's end… the intent of killing reaches its climax and the situation grows more severe than before?" Kishomi thought, hair lustrous in the radiant lunar display.

She hesitated for a second, making sure no one would be there waiting for her to fall into a trap. Kishomi wouldn't be that stupid. But maybe she was, just not in the amateur ninja way. Kishomi shook herself off with a hard jolt of her head. She took off towards the tower with vigorous speed. Her face only glued onto the straight scenery of trees and bushes. Night changed to day. Kishomi stood exhausted. She had been fighting off insects and gruesome looking animals all night. They had all gotten in her way and she slaughtered them all quickly with her agility and kunai blade, but the annoying obstacles tired her out.

"Uhn…"Kishomi muttered, half standing. Her eyes shut a bit, but she forced them open with a blink. Her hands were red and scratched from all those encounters, and she was sweating. The morning sun soon grew high in the sky as Kishomi rested.

"The time's almost up! Fifth day…wonder if Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke are there yet…" Kishomi said as the tower lay right in front of her. She pushed through the bushes. To her surprise, the rest of team 7 was already at the door, waiting for her arrival.

"NARUTO-KUN! SAKURA! SASUKE-KUN!" Kishomi called out as she ran to once again greet her team. They smiled and Naruto slapped her back. He gave Kishomi a thumbs up and grinned.

"We thought we wouldn't pass because of you! You put ME in such a tight position! We were worried to death!" Naruto stated, smile growing wider. His sapphire blue eyes glowed contently in the sunlight.

"Well, shall we?" Sakura asked, pointing at the 'kai' (meaning open in Chinese, but release in Japanese…but you get it, right?) sign on the door that stood before them. Kishomi's eye caught the glance of Kabuto, but she shifted her view back. That guy was some strange person. He didn't seem like the real self you'd think he was. But Kishomi would have to put that matter aside, **as for part 2 of the Chuunin exams was now officially over. **

**

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PREVIEW OF NEXT CHAPTER: Kishomi and her teammates are faced with the dreadful pre-matches, right after they've been spent in the forest! Will Kishomi handle this, especially with no strength at this point? And who will fight her? The situation gets tighter as Kishomi waits for her turn!**

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R&R! You know you want to! Please? –smile- Or I'll use my shuriken on you little readers! And plus Gamabunta will be summoned by none else, but Naruto himself and he will gobble your weak bodies up! WAHAHAHAHAHA! 


	10. The Pre Matches and The Memory Avenger!

Sumimasen everyone! I seemed to have made a mistake in the Kishomi's bio…that I just noticed about now! In case, if you're a Japanese word stickler freak like me, you'd probably go look up what Memory Grasper and Berserk Strike meant in jap! Well…I didn't exactly look…I only used my Otosan as my source… to finding what the words meant! And to tell the truth…my dad **_isn't_** exactly a pro in the Japanese language…so I came up with idiot words that didn't even go in the dictionary! So…Invisibility technique is…Meinai no Jutsu rather than Mukeii no Jutsu, and Berserk Strike means Nekkyo Utsu Koto, rather than No Shin Yonshou! I am terribly sorry for making this stupid error! Anyways….read on!

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Riiip!- the tape on the door tore in half as Naruto pushed the entry open. "AHA! Now should be the time," Kishomi thought. "We can open our scrolls!"

Sakura and Naruto read the writing inscribed in black ink on the wall. Kishomi didn't understand the missing word from the wall- as it was very confusing either way.

She held her breath as Naruto and Sakura cautiously peeled open the scroll. Kishomi jumped back as the wad of paper was thrown onto the floor, apparently because of the summoning charm placed inside the scroll. Iruka appeared with a smile and explained their third exam.

"We will be holding preliminary matches to determine who's going to get into the main matches! Now, if you'll follow me…" Iruka-sensei said, motioning his hand that lead to a door. Kishomi pushed it open and they stood before an enormous stadium.

Kishomi: Oh! Sugoi…

Sakura: This is huge! But why fight to determine the main matches' applicants?

Naruto: I'm ready! Alriiiight!

Sasuke: Hmph. That's it?

Iruka joined the other teachers in the platform of the vast arena. The Third Hokage stood in the middle, apparently leading the whole thing. Team 7 blended in with the flurry of other passing teams. Kishomi counted. "Twenty-one people…that's only seven teams!" she thought, clenching her teeth in tenseness. "That proctor Anko predicted pretty close…"

Kishomi listened closely as Anko explained the rules of the pre-matches. Kabuto put up his hand to refuse the offer for this tournament.

"I can't fight- too badly wounded!" he said, appearing to be lying discriminately in Kishomi's eyes. Kishomi glared darkly as he pushed her. Kabuto wasn't someone she enjoyed very much. A man walked up to the teams, but before he could speak, he was broken down by coughs. His dark eyes were sullen and he gave everyone the impression that he clearly looked dead.

"Ore…wa…Gekkou Hayate…-cough-"the man said, coughing once more. Kishomi stared at the man with dense eyes. Nobody seemed to care how the man reacted to his ill self.

"He could use a cough drop…and maybe some needed sleep. A ninja like him couldn't be very strong while fighting…especially with those hacking fits! I wonder how his stealth skills could ever be anywhere near a jônin level!" Kishomi thought, shaking her head in disapproval.

Gekkou Hayate's voice droned on and on like a monotone speaker as Kishomi played with a strand of her coffee hair. She twisted the lock and then unrolled it over and over, waiting for the guy to shut up and just let the matches begin. After all, this time was valuable, for this exam was to determine their stand in the main matches.

Kishomi sighed, moving her sore legs a bit to keep from slumping down in total pain. She wanted more action than just words. The clock was ticking away slowly, but yet life was wasting away so quick.

Gekkou Hayate signaled for the first fight to begin. Kishomi watched relentlessly as numbers of genin went and did their turns. As each wounded member was carried out, Kishomi eyed the triumphant look on the victor's face.

"Hmm…" she thought. "Pure victory. That would mean they'd be in the main matches! I've got to make it there!" Kishomi's hands tightened their grip on the railing overlooking the arena.

Kiba and Naruto stepped up to the arena. Kishomi dropped her current wonders and turned her full attention up to the two ninjas. Her first thought was that Kiba and Naruto were complete strangers to each other, but when they started shouting insults at each other, Kishomi sighed stupidly. Their big talking with their cocky attitudes made this a boring match.

"One trait they both share…"Kishomi muttered, eyes fixed on Naruto. "You better win Naruto…don't lose to some lowlife like that…" Kiba and Akamaru were one, but used against Naruto; it would be tough.

The blonde haired imbecile gave Kishomi a thumbs up. "He's incurable…" Kishomi thought, but she grinned. The match began.

And so match after match, Kishomi waited…………………………………………………………

And waited……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

And finally, the last match of the rookie crop was over. Kishomi gritted her teeth. Everyone had gone. Because of the uneven teams, Kishomi was faced with a no-win situation. "Crap! How can I pass this exam! No one is able to fight me! They've all gone!" she thought, mind racing with worry.

Gekkou Hayate signaled for Chouji to be carried out. His sullen gaze turned towards Kishomi. "You there…-cough cough- there's no one here to fight you. _Sumimasen_, but-" His words were cut short as a blood-spattered boy appeared in the doorway of the arena. Kishomi gasped as she gripped her hands tighter on the iron bars of the overlooking balcony. "NO!" she blared out, but her hand clasped over her mouth. It was the ragged boy- from the forest.

"How did he get like this?" Kishomi thought, looking at the horrifying appearance of the boy. His clothes were torn to shreds and his face was covered in cuts, making his expression grim. But yet he had the strength and endurance to pull himself out of the forest.

"I…Kyoretsu Nagare…will fight this _shojo_ that disturbs my conscience…today…here…and now." Nagare said, slipping off his ripped overcoat as he walked slowly into the stadium. His steady pace made Kishomi's heart beat loudly in her ear.

"He's not someone who'd give up so fast…I underestimated him…"Kishomi thought. Hayate gestured for Kishomi to go. Kishomi grew numb. She walked down the steps, taking her time. Each footstep echoed through her mind. Nagare winced as he turned his head to look at her.

"You'll never make it past me now…!" he panted with a weak smirk. Kishomi stood a couple yards away from him. She wanted to keep her distance from that blood stained body of his.

"This is mostly an _unofficial_ match –cough-, because your team did not pass the exam." Hayate started, looking at Nagare, who glared back. "But due to shortage in the number of opponents, I will let you in all that you are, to fight Sakada Kishomi." Nagare gave a sharp eye to the judge. Kishomi clenched her teeth as she stood ready for the match to commence.

"Nagare…let me explain to you…that I'd win- the shape you're in right now is **no** match against me." Kishomi said, a bit too overconfident. Nagare scoffed as he brushed his matted hair out of his face.

"We'll see if your prediction is right…" he said. "Do stop bragging… your pathetic bloodline is nothing…compared to mine that is." Now it was Kishomi's turn to scoff.

"You'd never get it past me, Nagare."

"Sure…you keep that cocky tone up and you'll regret it later."

"There is no cocky tone in my voice."

"Yeah…right…right…"

"Urasai, baka-yarou!"

"So there is? You are horrible at trying to back up your idiot answers."

"Lowlife. I'd rather not be so confident about choosing words like that."

"You baka! I'm going to beat your sorry ass!" Nagare spat out, and that started the fight.

Kishomi's eyes flared a milky grey color in pure anger. She drew out shuriken. (She restocked!) Nagare whipped out kunai knives. Ichi, Ni, san…three blades. Kishomi jumped high into the air as she forcefully aimed her shurikens at Nagare with a swift and graceful twist of her body. Nagare used one of his knives to block out every ninja star.

Kishomi landed on her feet. Nagare ran at her with full sped. Kishomi jumped backwards as Nagare's outstretched hand held a blade to cut her. She used her feet to push herself off the wall and into the air, flipping elegantly behind Nagare's view. She landed hard on her feet and headed straight for Nagare. The landing caused an immediate tremor, but she kicked Nagare squarely in the chin, sending him flying. Nagare skidded across the cracked tile. The broken pieces of ceramic cut his face more. The action all seemed to happen in seconds, for the boy appeared unconscious now.

But it wasn't to last. Nagare's hand shot up. Kishomi groaned with aching pain in her feet as the boy slowly got to his feet. Blood dripped generously from his tattered face.

_The observer's thoughts…_

Naruto: Alright! Stick that freak Kishomi!

Sakura: Wow…I've never seen her fight! Her footwork and strength is very well done.

Ino: Hmph. That Nagare's a big talker too? Well, he looks determined…to die.

Shikamaru: How troublesome…why do we _have_ to have another match? Along with two troublesome idiots… it's too much for them.

Dosu: A worthy one, indeed.

Shino: Hmph. That guy still won't give up on trying to kill Kishomi. Even at the cost of his own life.

Neji: Huh…that girl will win. I'm sure of it…her strength outnumbers that of the boy's…but she's still a rookie, no matter what.

Gaara: (no comment)

Kankuro: Two bratty kids. Why do we have to put up with such nuisances?

Temari: That girl is skilled! Much better than the opponent I had. –sighs-

Kakashi-sensei: Kishomi has grown since I last saw her. Perhaps the forest caused her to mature a bit?

"Fierce Stream!" Nagare yelled and ribbons of water shot out from the center of his palm. The ribbons seemed sharp and headed straight from Kishomi. Kishomi leaped all over, trying to dodge the water blades with her agile body. She whisked out a kunai knife for some support and held it off, blade against blade.

"Kuso…"Kishomi stuttered out, holding down the pressuring force of the Kyoretsu Nagare technique. (Hence his name…)

She flipped to dodge the next stream of violent water. Her leg barely made it, and in result, she was cut deeply. "Ow!" Kishomi gasped out, grimacing from the fresh wound that made its mark on her ankle. She jumped into the air, knocking each stream of water that followed her with the kunai knife. The dodging was useless, although it kept her from dangerous injuries. It wasted a sense of speed and agility to evade these water-made blades.

Kishomi's stomach churned as one stream of water came for her after another. Her kunai knife was too late. The sharp water stuck her arm. Kishomi cried out in pain. Everyone standing above gasped, but Nagare laughed cruelly, eyes gleaming in pure joy and amusement.

Kishomi headed straight for the ground. Her landing shook the ground. The water had splashed to the ground after it had stabbed her left arm. The blinding pain was cold and unbearable as Kishomi wiped off the excessive blood flowing freely down her arm.

Her hands were soon drenched in thick scarlet liquid. It dripped to the ground with soft patters. Kishomi got up and slowly raised her left arm to perform katas. "Nagare…_Omae o korosu_!" she said in a low, possessive voice. The waterfall genin just sneered with his eyes looking up.

"Go ahead. Try if you dare…" he said, then hesitated for more choice words. "It's senseless to do any spells on me now Kishomi. You're going to regret your arms were ever made useful!" Kishomi still remained at her current stance. She closed her eyes and concentrated. If she vowed to kill this guy, she'd do it right.

"I'll just turn that hopeless thought of yours into nothing but a memory- along with your dead teammates!" Kishomi said coldly, eyes glazed with fury. **Strike**. Nagare's face turned into a stone glare as Kishomi smirked with no regrets.

Fwup, fwup, fwup…Seal of the dragon, horse, ram, and rat. Nagare took a step back in caution. Kishomi had disappeared. But the boy knew what she was doing. At least he thought he did.

"_Doko_? Where did she…? Don't tell me you're doing that useless _tokui_ (specialty) of yours again! The Nekkyo Utsu Koto is pitiful against me!" he yelled out, cocking his head in every direction to try to spot the strange disappearance of the girl.

"It's hopeless- omae no shinu! You're going to die…" multiple voices said threateningly. Nagare's eyes widened in fright as he spun around, trying to distinguish where Kishomi was. Nothing at all. Multiple laughs were heard; the ones that sent chills down your spine and makes you paranoid to everything around you. The environment became cold, deathly and Nagare could sense a strong desire for blood. He shook in fright, but his overconfident attitude took over.

"Shut the hell up! Show yourself!" Nagare yelled out, but his shaky tone made it clear that he was scared. More laughter. It echoed and faded, like ocean waves reaching the sand- then retracting. Dozens of spines shot at Nagare. They pierced him, and it only seemed that it was a few spikes at first, for the bloody pricks it made were only a few. But in the waterfall genin's perspective, it looked like millions of pinpricks coming at him, dying to stab him to death.

"_I am your memory Nagare…I control your very thoughts…you coward! You'd never escape these clutches of steel!" _Kishomi's voice spoke, ringing loudly in Nagare's head. He clutched his head in searing pain. His body then was torn apart with convulsions that made his eyeballs roll white. The other remaining team members watched in horror as the poor boy suffered terribly. Nagare looked like an invalid, twisting all different directions. His body lashed violently and his eyes rolled white. Kishomi had a hold of his memory. She forced the boy to behave possessively and be a doll under her power. As Nagare continued to have frightening seizures, Kishomi took a look at the boy's past memories.

:Flashback:

"_Dosaan! I'll get this in no time! See?" a smaller version of the boy Nagare was now jumped and released water pricks that stabbed the trees. His father forced a smile under his disparaging look as he watched from above. It seemed he wasn't impressed with Nagare's progression in his kekkai genkai skills._

"_Now it's those water ribbons…Kyoretsu Nagare…named after me by myself! My own creation! Dosaan's going to be surprised!" Nagare thought in pure ecstasy as his hand extended and ribbons of water shot out from his palm and crushed the trees before him._

"_So, sonna…baka na! That's crazy!" Nagare's father gasped, eyes growing wide. "Nagare has never been like this before…what has happened to that boy that didn't want to try?" The water ribbons snatched greedily at the trees and tore them to bits. Nagare looked wildly at his destruction and smirked up at his father._

:End Flashback:

Kishomi's Pov

"This guy…is a pathetic fighter…and a show off to his parents…if not strong for his age…" she said, stopping. At least Nagare had parents that cared for him and was at his side. She never had any close encounters with her own kin since she was four. Somehow Kishomi felt envy for the one she despised most.

Nagare squirmed and kept shaking non stop. He was coughing out spatters of blood now and had cuts from the sharp tile fragments from the recent fights. (like Rock Lee's and Gaara's fight, i.e.) The people above and Gekkou Hayate watched silent, drowning in their predictions and thoughts of this match's results.

Naruto: Kishomi is gonna win that guy!

Sakura: Oh my god! That waterfall genin doesn't look like he's going to stay alive for very long! Kishomi is going way too hard on him! But I see her determination to get into the main matches…

Kakashi: Looks like both came from a strong kekkai genkai clan.

Dosu: That girl is a worthy opponent…

Kankuro: Wow. Kishomi's having some serious fun!

Temari: Hmph. Nagare won't stand a chance.

Gaara: Nagare will die soon, if not now.

Neji: -grunts- So both strong bloodline limit members.

Shino: What a pity. Nagare's misery is disturbing to the eye.

Ino: Eww! That boy's all possessed looking!

Shikamaru: Troublesome match this is…

Kurenai: That girl and boy seem to have great potential in what they strive for. What an interesting fight… two different bloodlines clash.

Gai: Ah! The true purpose of youth has bloomed! Although the shaking kid does scare me though…

Asuma: -blow- These are no ordinary genins.

Kishomi gripped Nagare's memory harder, forcing the boy to throw up large amounts of crimson blood. Her Kiwaku Fukushu Suru, the Memory Avenger had taken its effect. Nagare was thrown up and slammed back on the already caved in ground from the previous fights. It was like an invisible force that pulled him from so up high, down back on the ground in just seconds. His body bounced once and then fell limp. Watchers on the railing gawked as the boy moved no more. His body was frigid and his pupils had returned, giving him a far away stare. A dead stare.

Even Gekkou Hayate's own sullen eyes grew open. A sickening squelching sound was heard as Kishomi stepped out of the boy, appearing with a frightful glare. Her hands were heavily bloodstained. The scarlet liquid trickled down onto the ground with small beats.

Gekkou Hayate nodded slowly as he coughed. "_Shosha…_-cough- Sakada Kishomi." He walked over to Nagare and felt his pulse. Nothing. He touched the lifeless boy's hand. _Samui_- cold like ice. Nagare was dead.

"He's dead," Gekkou Hayate said, shaking his head. "Unofficial match, one death total. Take this boy to the hospital and please contact his village for parent notification. At once. Arigato." The medical men nodded their heads obediently and carried off the dead boy. Kishomi held up her crimson colored hands, shimmering in the light.

"I've…never killed anyone…before…" she said heartlessly. Kishomi then half stumbled and fell to the ground on her knees. She smiled up at everyone and fainted. She was done. Chakra, gone. Body, spent. All that was needed was rest and some well spent days in the hospital.

"KISHOMI!" Naruto yelled down at the unconscious girl. "NANI DATTEBAYO?" Sakura shrank back, scared. She wasn't sure if Kishomi was dead or alive, considering the heavy damage she caused on her _aite_, or opponent. Kakashi lowered his eyes.

"Relax- she's only unconscious…the girl needs some rest." He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Sakura sighed in relief and Naruto stopped ranting.

Kishomi was carried on a stretcher and disappeared behind the large doors. The other people eyed the girl.

Neji: So she killed that other guy? Hmph. That girl is very strange indeed.

Dosu: I'd better keep an eye on that girl. Orochimaru-sama would like a powerful person like her.

Temari: Well-spent fight. One death. –laughs softly-

Kankuro: My, my. They both have bloodied themselves greatly! –smirk-

Gaara: My prediction was right.

Ino: Neh! What happened right there! She just collapsed for no real reason! But…nande?

Shikamaru: How troublesome. That girl's suffering and the boy's dead.

Asuma: Huh. These two bloodlines were very vital clans to the ninja world. One member down.

Kurenai: As I thought. The girl's spent for a few days. Best that she gets her rest to prepare for the main matches.

Shino: Hmph. So that boy's finally dead? _Not once did he try giving up…_

The Hokage smiled. "_The girl's fitting in just fine…I'll have to inform her family of her victory and the opportunity in the main matches…" _But he would need an extra opponent for her first.

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So…what do you think! I am getting close to writing some family intros! R&R and comment as much as you like! I am in desperate need of reviews, please!

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PREVIEW OF NEXT CHAPTER: Kishomi's in the hospital and her forehead's got some strange marking that keeps flickering off and on. The thought curse has taken its vile effect on the girl to keep her from something! But wait… a mysterious guy checks in at the hospital and wants to see, his little sister? The memory seal has to be erased, or Kishomi's in some serious trouble for the main matches! 


	11. Enter: Shizuka and Mirai!

**Ok**! **OK**! **_Ok_**! I am so SORRY for posting that Meiji Era Essay! I took it off, alright? Be happy I tried to bore you guys…ANYWAYS…**uhm** well I have written like **3243498** more chapters from all the time I HAVEN'T updated so bear with the **_crappiness_** of nothing happening for a while! **I AM SORRY**! GOMEN GOMEN! Please forgive meeeee! Anyways…this is where **_it all_** comes in…

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters although it would be lovely if I did…but hey I have my own OC's to go to now!

R&R when you're done! R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R!

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Kishomi struggled to move her paralyzed body. She was breathing through a tube that covered her mouth, giving her artificial air that tasted sour. Kishomi strained her closed eyes. She was still unconscious, but somehow still moving.

The hospital room was small and had hard, whitewashed walls. They gave off a dull feeling to the room. A small bedside table was by Kishomi's hospital cot. Her _hitai-ate_ forehead protector laid. The shiny metal reflected the city of Konoha on it from the view through the window. Kishomi lay deep in memory flashes.

:Flashback:

_"Focusing chakra into your feet…" said a small girl with a coffee colored mass of hair, fair grey eyes, and a voice filled with strife. Kishomi studied a scroll while eating her ordinary evening meal, rice with greens and some meat. A bowl of Miso soup was there normally to go along with it, and maybe a warm rice ball to finish it off. _

:End Flashback:

Kishomi was already in the hospital for a day. No current improvements were seen, except for her heavy breathing had steadied over the long hours of the summer's days. Her hands were cleaned, but the girl had a strange seal flickering on and off on her forehead. Nurses glanced at Kishomi in confusion, clueless of the word 'thought' etched in her forehead. The symbol indicated that Kishomi's memory was regenerating and strengthening chakra and will-power.

It was late afternoon by the time nurses and doctors had come in to inspect the exhausted girl. A _takai_, or tall boy with streaky brown and black hair walked in the hospital at 5:00pm, right when the hospice was about to close.

"Sumimasen, we are closing." A female nurse said, motioning her hand to a clipboard. "Please sign your name if you are to visit tomorrow. It's too late now." The boy gave her a sharp look, startling the nurse. Other nurses passing by were taken back at the boy's striking and piercing attitude.

"It's urgent." The boy said, looking down at the nurse. He was indeed much taller than the employee. The boy didn't seem to mind the gawking he received from the others, but he needed to check in on his little sister. His _shimai imoto._

The nurse straightened up herself and handed him the clipboard. "Fine. You will be granted fifteen minutes only. No more than that or you'll be kicked out." She said confidently. The boy clearly didn't seem to like that very much. The nurse had made a mistake. A **big** mistake.

"What makes _you _think that?" The boy asked, a soft menace growing in his voice. The nurse lowered her eyes. She didn't want to say anymore, nor get hurt. But it was too late.

"Sleep well." The boy said, pressing his palm on the nurse's forehead. She fell unconscious and dropped to the floor silently. The clipboard was put back on the reception desk and the name was signed neatly on the third line: _Sakada Shizuka_.

The boy didn't need anybody to tell him where the room was. The cursed memory seal already called openly to him from the east wing. He headed for room 378. His open black tailcoat swished softly, revealing a netted undershirt and black pants. The boy's half sleeve on his right arm had the same tattoo on Kishomi's forehead, except it was permanent. The 'thought' word was carved into the skin in black, looking like an old scar.

_Click._ The door swung open and the boy strode over to Kishomi with the same sharp, grey eyes, glaring at the flaring mark on her forehead. It would fade, then imprint again, repeatedly. His eyes narrowed.

"_Che_! She…why'd she have to get it, too!" the boy thought angrily. A hand touched his shoulder. He knocked the hand off with a grunt, as if he himself knew who the person was.

"She's in our family, Shizuka nii-san. There's nothing you can do about it." A girl's voice quietly consoled.

"What do _you_ know, Mirai? I'm the older one, so save it!" Shizuka growled. The girl's eyes gave him a reproachful look.

"Kachan and Dosaan sent us here, alright? We're just going to wake her up before that memory curse takes effect!" Mirai said, crossing her arms with an irritated expression on her face. She turned to Kishomi and walked over to the sleeping girl. Her look softened as she put her hand on Kishomi's head.

"My dear little sister…you mustn't use kekkai genkai abilities until the memory seal is closed. If you do so, it's going to give you a hefty debt," Mirai said, stroking Kishomi's unruly hair. "That is why we are here to seal it." She stopped and started to unravel bandages all over her arm, hidden underneath her cloak.

A large cut the height of her arm length gashed through the front. The wound had long healed, but a disturbing scar marked its place.

"Don't end up like me, Kishomi-chan. I haven't seen you for many years- I do hope that you have matured since then." Mirai whispered into Kishomi's ear. Kishomi twitched.

"She's awake." Shizuka said, leaning casually against the wall. Mirai nodded. As she did, Kishomi's eyes fluttered open. She hesitated, looking at the ceiling, then turned her glance from the white walls to her older siblings.

"Nii-san? Shizuka…? Is…that…?" Kishomi rasped weakly. Mirai and Shizuka smiled. Kishomi's 'thought' mark flickered on again. She winced and rubbed her forehead.

"Kishomi, little sister…you must have that memory curse sealed at once." Shizuka said, striding over to Kishomi. The puzzled expression on Kishomi's face made Shizuka sigh, annoyed.

"This mark," Shizuka said, gesturing at the black etching when it had come up again, "is a temporary tester seal placed on you at birth. When you come of age and have used some or all of the kekkai genkai abilities that **_we_** share, the seal is opened and is going to stop you from getting too strong."

Kishomi winced. "_Naru hodo_. I see." Shizuka and Mirai watched as the girl sat upright on the bed, propping two pillows to cushion her head. It was clear that Kishomi was still sore from her previous match.

"Kishomi- we need to seal that…now," Mirai said quietly, as if the words were somewhat dangerous. Shizuka nodded. Kishomi herself paused, but then agreed silently.

"You'll feel no pain and you'll be fine after this sealing. But I cannot allow to leave this hospital…the nurses will get suspicious." Mirai said, this time a little louder. Shizuka flinched at the sound of nurses. He had gotten rid of one and Mirai didn't know just yet.

Shizuka stepped in front of Mirai, who was pushed back. He, apparently was going to be sealing the curse. Shizuka performed strange seals unknown to Kishomi and mumbled, "Seal of Kiwaku, unbind and replenish withheld thirst for power once more! Release your grip!" His left palm rested on Kishomi's forehead, as his right hand formed strange movements.

Thought marks swirled in harmony around the two while Mirai re-bandaged herself in the background. If the sealing was done wrong, things would go awry.

"Argh!" Shizuka growled as he forced all the thought words into the black symbol on Kishomi's forehead. It was finished. A new permanent thought mark engraved Kishomi's right arm, much like Shizuka's. Kishomi's messy hair shielded her face, but her eyes blinked open, sharp and strong as ever. They seemed to pierce right into her siblings.

Shizuka and Mirai grinned as Kishomi laid her head back onto the pillow. "This is it, ka? Kishomi-chan's fine now." Mirai thought, as Shizuka sat himself down on a bench-chair.

"Shizuka, nii-san…what did the Hokage say? I won the pre-matches, but who am I to fight…and the codes?" Kishomi asked all at once. Shizuka hesitated, taking the words in slowly.

"You'll fight someone else from- it's not determined. And you have **one** month to prepare for your opponent. It's a rivalry between nations. All kages of the villages will be present, judging your skills and the outcome of the fight." Shizuka replied, running his long, slender fingers through his hair. Mirai nodded, but she didn't seem to know what was going on.

"Naru hodo," Kishomi said, voice filled with some despite, knowing that she did not identify her opponent yet. "Ja. I'll need to start on training tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to get out of here by then." Shizuka scoffed silently, but Mirai nodded and smiled.

As the two siblings left their little sister at the hospital, Shizuka stopped at the door to say farewell to his own sister. "Hmph. Ja Ne, Mirai-san." He mumbled, but Mirai had more to say.

"She gets all that confidence from you Shizuka- if you haven't noticed." She stated flatly, staring up into the brilliant orange-red sky. Shizuka's expression changed. He smiled a bit and laughed quietly.

"I see. We aren't a bonded family as of now, but Kachan and Dosaan are planning to go to the main matches. It'll be a surprise and reunion for Kishomi." Shizuka put his hand in his pockets. "We should part, little sister."

"I'm not little."

"Oh. Really? You're sixteen."

"Huh. So?"

"Right. Ja Ne!"

Shizuka and Mirai split up in two different directions. After all, independence had its strict set rules.

Kishomi spent the rest of the night sitting in her bed, concentrating on trying to mold chakra into her hands. All of this was essential to winning in her perspective. But after two hours of non-stop chakra forming, Kishomi sank down into her pillow in exhaustion. Night grew into day as the girl slept peacefully. Dawn struck.

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ALRIGHTY! FINALLLLLLY POSTED AFTER 5 million years! Now R&R. I COMMAND. What happened to all my reviewers? –sniff- I need them… 


	12. Training with Sakada Omoi Begins!

OMG. ANOTHER UPDATE BY A DEAD ARTIST. won't you be happy for me? _oh yes._

**I have contemplated that writing fanfiction puts off stress. and that it also improves grades in school. **OH OH OH. beat that suckers! XD

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so you'll review right? my dead reviewers…I wish you guys were more…"alive" suckers. JUST KIDDING. REVIEW REVIEW!

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Kishomi slowly crawled out of bed, careful to not make any sound on the wooden floor. Someone had left a bowl of fruit by her bedside table. She snatched an apple from the bowl and took a bite. The crisp, sweet taste of the fruit woke her up. Kishomi walked over to the window and looked outside. It was still dark, but the sun was already inching up over the horizon. Brilliant views of midnight and dawn mixed with each other, an aura of the light and dark.

"I've got to manage my chakra well now…" she muttered to herself while chewing on the apple. A bit of juice trickled down her chin. Her tongue shot out and licked up the sweet liquid. Kishomi's eye trailed to the permanent "thought" mark on her left arm. The black mark stood out from her outfit. She sighed heavily and threw the remains of the apple away.

The door clicked open. Kishomi gave a little grunt, as the sound was sudden. A man dressed in a dark cloak stood in the doorway, a menacing sign to all in the blank hospital room. Kishomi backed towards the window. The man's face was covered with a rice picker hat that hung low over his head. "Heh." he said lowly. Kishomi gripped the curtains tightly behind her. Her grasp on them tightened as the man advanced slowly towards her.

"Who…who are you!" she demanded nervously. The man didn't seem to notice her comment and kept on walking towards her. Kishomi had no weapons of any kind on her, so her hand moved towards the window, struggling to push the latch open.

"_What's wrong?_" the man asked dangerously as he stopped, five feet away from the girl. Kishomi finally managed to get the window lock to release, but the man slid off his rice picker hat with a swift movement. She gasped.

"Dosaan…doushita no?" Kishomi asked in wide surprise. The man supposedly Kishomi's father smirked. Kishomi eyed the man a bit more. His face features were so much of Kishomi's brother that she believed herself. The man sat down in a chair adjacent from the bed.

"Hai." he mumbled lowly as Kishomi let go of the window latch.

"Eh..? Really!" Kishomi exclaimed quickly, but she quickly remembered the code of conduct towards the head member of the clan. She shut her mouth as to let the head speak.

"Hai." the man said. Kishomi's hand trailed from the window and fell back at her side. She hadn't seen her own father in nine years. Why was he now coming to her? It felt odd encountering with her father, as he was busy on missions and had a sinister temperament. But this man seemed a bit different, although in the beginning he had attempted to terrorize Kishomi.

"Dosaan…why did you scare me?" she muttered lowly. The man laughed a bit.

"I wasn't. You were just scared. I was trying to advance, but yet you never grasped the chance to understand my movements. That is not a smart way of a ninja like you, Kishomi." he said, scratching the back of his head. It was clear that his menacing "encounter" had failed.

"Dosaan…" Kishomi started, but her father knew what she needed. He put back on his rice picker hat.

"Come, Kishomi-chan. You need training, right? The main matches are in one month and judging by your brother's words, I cannot let a person fail in their nindo." Dosaan said quietly. Kishomi nodded. Her father had the ability to read memory and the current thoughts of another, so there was no point in keeping her mind in secret. But she remembered the Sakada ninja path: **_Only train for yourself and shape your future the way you desire; what you make of it is the final result. _**So why was her father breaking that 'independent' way of the ninja right now?

"_Shikashi…_Dosaan…" Kishomi started, but her father cut in.

"Eii. No worry." he said. Kishomi lowered her head.

"I understand. Arigato gozaimasu." she said. Her father stood up and started towards the doorway. Kishomi decided that it was her queue to follow. She trailed after her father.

"Mmm. Kishomi-your brother had read your memory just recently and it says…that a Kyoretsu had been a bother of your time." Dosaan said. His voice sounded unpleasant, but Kishomi decided to speak.

"Hai. This boy…from the Chuunin mark exams was after me to get back at a **_rivalry_** between our clan and…his." she said, stopping. Dosaan nodded.

"Naru hodo. You'll understand later how to deal with…_a grudge._" he said, but Kishomi didn't hear the last two words.

"Neh?" she asked, trying to decipher the previous words of her father. Dosaan shook his head.

"Nothing, nothing. We'll talk about it later, _musume_(daughter)." he said, and slid open the door. Kishomi stepped out with him and they started down towards the hallway. Nurses saw the odd pair and backed out of their way, as Kishomi's father wore a threatening look on their face. One nurse, however, chose to confront the two.

"This girl can't leave yet! It says for her to gain two more days of rest! She'll have to stay!" she said, jabbing her finger at a clipboard. Kishomi's father shrugged and shook his head.

"No. She's fine now. You wouldn't understand, much less care." he said and pushed the nurse away. People gazed upon both Kishomi and her father as a threat. A person stepped up to Kishomi's father and looked at him squarely in the eye.

"What do you think you're doing! This is a hospital! We have a facility here and I don't wish that you—" he started, but Kishomi's father ignored him and kept on walking. Kishomi followed, not knowing what else to do. People stared back at the pair, silent in all ways.

When Kishomi and her father got outside, she stopped. "Dosaan, I should start on training then…I hope you don't mind me leaving you here right now." Kishomi said, turning her back.

"Kishomi-chan. You can't possibly train by yourself…you don't understand do you? Why would I come to visit you and pull you out of the hospital?" her father asked, glaring down on Kishomi. She lowered her head.

"You want to train me don't you?" she asked, hiding a hint of a smile. Her father looked up and nodded.

"So desu." he said. Kishomi remained silent. Her father understood what she was thinking. "No matter Kishomi. Please don't take in the code too seriously right now…there's more important things than that right now." Kishomi looked up and smiled.

"Hai, Dosaan. I'll do my best to keep up." she said. Her father grinned and took her arm.

Kishomi and her father arrived at the forest. "Kishomi-chan…your opponent is still undecided-but we can't slack off and just toy with weapons and hand to hand combat. Chakra usage is very essential so you can show off your skills to your opponent!" Dosaan said. Kishomi nodded obediently. She had to gather every bit of information her father said into her memory.

Kishomi's father walked over to a tree stump and pointed at it. "Show me the Memory Grasper…er…Avenger on this wood." He instructed his daughter. Kishomi nodded and closed her eyes.

"Think. What did that Nagare do to you? You must have recollections of his attacks somehow…" Kishomi thought to herself. She finally singled in on Nagare's specialty, his water ribbons. She concentrated for a second, lowering her head. Her hand reached out and the water spikes speared into the wood and a splitting sound was heard. The wood cracked down in the middle and splinters flew everywhere. Kishomi evaded the wood chips with ease.

Her father stood in the background nodding in notice of her memory attack. But somehow, the water ribbons that Kishomi conjured from her memory irritated him. "Kishomi…come here." Dosaan said, signaling his hand for Kishomi to come to him. She ran over obediently and faced her father.

Although Kishomi tried to hide her angry expression of the flashbacks, her father knew immediately that she had killed one of the Kyoretsu members. He looked down as well. "That attack. I know it…it's that boy's infamous invention, isn't it? Their clan inherits that horrible kekkai genkai enabling them to invent their own water techniques." He said sharply. His facial expression darkened in the hatred he had for the rival clan of waterfall.

Kishomi understood immediately. Nagare was from a so-called high family from _taki_. Her father had more to say though. He added, "You wonder why we escaped from that waterfall village? There's your answer. Them. Those bastards thought that getting rid of us would be the answer to everything in the world. They were terribly wrong in thinking we would escape from the government's clutches." Kishomi eyed her father mysteriously. She put the pieces together and gasped.

Nagare's family was the one who reported of their family's bloodline when they had it themselves, hoping for the rivalry to be put to an end. But the Sakada family escaped, leaving the Kyoretsu family in shame for an incomplete mission. Although their bloodline was never discovered by the government itself, their hatred for their rival clan grew more and more throughout the years. Soon enough, every born member of the clan was taught the arts to counter that of the Sakada mind/memory techniques. When the bloodline war was coming to an end, they sent out ninja from their clan to search for the Sakada clan, but only a select few 'weaker' members were found and killed. When the Chuunin exams came up, Nagare was sent for a final mission that ended up as a failure. He died doing so, and his mission was classified as: FAILED.

Both families had been in strict rivalry for generations. Kishomi's ancestors were notorious for their fights against the Kyoretsu clan. This "trait" was soon passed down to all families of the Sakada. The blackmail that the Kyoretsu used caused the Sakada to become like a nomadic family, moving from various villages to another. Tight thoughts chewed on Kishomi's father's mind since he was a child. Sakada Omoi had always to destroy the entire clan of the Kyoretsu.

"That boy you killed in the pre-matches. Your memory tells me so. Is he not the second oldest of the clan?" Omoi asked. His slate colored eyes penetrated Kishomi with a mortifying glare.

Kishomi gulped and nodded. "Hai, Omoi-sensei…" she said. Her father's expression changed into a more relaxed look.

"Right, Kishomi-chan. We should start the training now, I presume?" he asked Kishomi. She agreed quickly with a nod of her head.

Omoi-sensei began his training for Kishomi. "Chakra control is useful in attacking opponents. Come, I will teach you new things." Omoi-sensei said, smiling. Kishomi's anxious look drew her to the most amazing skills one could conjure.

Omoi sensei formed his hand in the chakra summon kata and looked at Kishomi. "Your first technique to learn from me is the Memory Drain. This technique is very strong in extracting memory and chakra out of an opponent. All chakra is focused into the user's hands, charging the mixture of special memory of chakra used as a weapon to attack." Omoi-sensei said. "This isn't too hard to learn. It's a more 'minor' type of skill to learn from all the ninjutsu we have on our list." Kishomi nodded.

"Focus chakra into palms," Kishomi thought, "And attack the key target-the opponent's forehead!" Kishomi repeated to herself. Blue chakra glowed in her hands, which quickly increased to covering the entire hand. "Here-Dosaan!" Kishomi's taut hand formed into the chakra focusing form. She aimed towards her father's head. Her fingers forcefully touched his forehead, but nothing happened.

Her father shook his head. "Wrong. Your hands lost control of the chakra right when you hit me. I notice that you're far too determined to learn this technique, and that diverted your concentration from your chakra use. I don't expect you to make a miracle happen the first time, so don't be too hasty. You need full focus of chakra in the hands, which determines this attack's outcomes. If you don't put your heart into the chakra control, the chances are, all your attacks won't be so powerful. Normally, a higher level of this attack would be enough to possibly annihilate a person by the chakra force and the speed you put into the attack." He explained. Kishomi took in his words slowly, as if eating the information one by one.

Omoi-sensei looked at Kishomi and understood his daughter's first reaction. "No. I assure you that I can block your attack perfectly so it won't be enough to hurt me, Kishomi-chan," he said, shaking his head. "It'll be fine. Your chakra is not quite well developed enough to hurt me too much. A few minor injuries won't bother me too much, considering my chakra is strong enough to immediately heal myself." Kishomi dropped her tight shoulders in relief and nodded.

Kishomi took a run at her father, molding her chakra as she went. Her father carelessly blocked each attack like repelling a bug. Kishomi couldn't understand why her chakra wasn't correctly functioning today, but she kept taking a turn at her father. Nothing worked. Omoi-sensei watched lazily as each time Kishomi tried and failed. "Ichi…ni…san…shi…go…" he counted the number of times that Kishomi had attempted at the skill. Kishomi was now huffing in exhaustion, but since her chakra reserves had increased during her last fight, her strength hadn't died just yet. She had enough power to make this attack work on her father.

"Kuso…"Kishomi cursed under her breath. Her forehead dripped perspiration as she focused her chakra into her palm. Her mind couldn't seem to put the concentration into her molding. Kishomi gritted her teeth and clenched her palm as she forced chakra to flow into her hand. Nothing seemed to get into her hand and form the power she once had. Omoi-sensei watched her endless attempts on trying to mold her energy.

"Kishomi-chan…you don't force chakra into your palms to get the power…you have to concentrate and calculate how much chakra to form and when to use it. When you have the right amount of the chakra needed for a certain attack, then the chakra sort of forms itself to your liking and that's when you use it. So before, you actually knew what you were doing, but now-it seems like you've put too much effort into what you need to do, and so you lose a bit of the concentration needed to make the technique work." Omoi-sensei said in detail to Kishomi. She slumped down in worry. Omoi-sensei tried to reach for her shoulder, but he stopped. It was best to let his daughter contemplate to herself on what move she would make next. But Kishomi was not daunted. She stood up straight and looked at the sky in determination.

"Hai! Omoi-sensei! Hajimeru desu!" Kishomi said strongly in a striving desire, despite her failures. Omoi-sensei looked once at his daughter, then beamed in pride at the strength of mind Kishomi had.

Omoi-sensei glanced at the sky and understood what Kishomi was thinking. Half past noon. She was getting hungry. It was lunchtime.

"Neh, Kishomi-chan…are you hungry?" Omoi-sensei asked. Kishomi looked at her father slowly and shook her head. What was he thinking? It was training, not a time to slack off and go eat.

"Iie! I need to train! My nindo is to have the strongest willpower one can possess!" Kishomi declared at her father. Omoi-sensei laughed and nodded.

"Naru hodo, Kishomi-chan. I understand that you do have a strong will-and I hope that it will be the strongest one can possess!" he said, conforming to his daughter's ninja path. Kishomi gleamed with pleasure that her father was proud of the fact that she had a goal in life to achieve.

"Now…to resume training…" Kishomi said, getting into her ready position. Omoi-sensei stood adjacent to her, ready for his daughter to make another attempt at the Memory Drain. Kishomi took a new run at her father, this time with chakra formed into her palm. The blue and white energies mixed rhythmically in her hands as she thrust one finger forcefully at her father's head. Omoi-sensei quickly shot up his hand to parry the move, but Kishomi's movement was quick. Her finger had nearly touched Omoi-sensei's forehead before Omoi-sensei's quick dodging attack had blocked Kishomi's finger from fully touching his head. The forceful chakra had sent a shockwave to his head, so Omoi-sensei's mind was partially thrown off balance. He coughed up some blood to erase the pain. Never had he seen such strength put into such a small technique. Kishomi rushed by his side to check if he was okay.

"Daijobu, Dosaan!" she cried out. Omoi-sensei looked up to see that there were tears forming in Kishomi's eyes. She was worried about her father's mind chakra being damaged. Omoi-sensei nodded slowly and spat out more blood. Kishomi wiped away tears looking at her father in pain right now.

"Don't…cry Kishomi! Daijobu desu! I'm fine! Really!" Kishomi's father said slowly. Kishomi wasn't assured that Omoi-sensei would be alright. Omoi-sensei stared Kishomi squarely in the eye. His grey eyes twinkled.

"Consider this part of our 'gasshuku' cleared." He said, and walked away, leaving Kishomi a bit surprised as well as pleased that she had accomplished one task today. That concluded the training session for today.

Kishomi waited until her father disappeared from the distance. She gathered up belongings and started off towards the village. But somebody startled Kishomi from behind. She spun around, seeing that Naruto was standing in front of her, grinning widely.

"Neh, Kishomi-chan!" Naruto said, "Are you starting on your training already!" Kishomi smiled.

"Ano…I've actually just finished, Naruto-kun. I started pretty early today…considering the sun wasn't up when I came here…" She said, holding up some various weapons to show proof. Naruto gasped.

"Already! You should train more! If extra training helps me, I'd take the chance at it! C'mon! It's the MAIN matches! You can't just minimize your training sessions! The work continues until you're worked to death!" He stated firmly, holding up a fist. Kishomi giggled. She understood what he was driving for, but she was much too exhausted to continue on anymore training.

"Sumimasen, Naruto-kun…I've been wasting chakra all day…and I just haven't the time to continue…I'm still busy on some things to do today. Well…Ja ne! I'll see you later and good luck on your training! I hope you'll win your match, Naruto-kun, I really do." Kishomi said, bowing her head in respect. Naruto laughed loudly and patted Kishomi's shoulder.

"Arigato gozaimasu, Kishomi-chan! I wish you the same to your match! And one day-I hope that I can fight you to see what extreme powers you have!" He said, beaming at Kishomi's compliment. Kishomi grinned back and turned towards the village of Konoha.

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LIKE IT? DON'T LIKE IT? TELL ME BY R&R-ing my friendz! BUAHAHAHA…just do it.

TT


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